Grande NonFat Mocha
by JustGidget
Summary: "He loved the way the boy would smile at him. He loved the way he would giggle and brush at his bangs when Blaine would greet him with "Grande Non-Fat Mocha?" and slide the cup over to him." Slight AU. Rated T. Might change to M.
1. Just A Name

**Okay, so the last time I wrote a fan fiction was when I was, like, 14. So, work with me here XD This is my first time writing a Glee fan fiction and I'm kind of going into it a little blindly. I don't really have an ending in mind and I'm just kind of going where the characters take me. Hopefully people will like this and if they do, I will definitely keep going with it.**

**I do not own Glee.**

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><p>Blaine Anderson came from a fairly well-off family. Okay, maybe they were a little more than "well-off", they were pretty wealthy. But it definitely was not something Blaine made a habit of flaunting. He was a modest boy. It didn't take very much to please him. For the most part, Blaine was easily entertained, finding himself drawn into a book in seconds or simply lazing about his room watching whatever movie was playing on Showtime or, dare he say it, Lifetime Movie Network. He had decided that the movies played on that channel were like a freaking train wreck. Once you watched ten seconds of it, you were immediately drawn in, unable to tear your eyes away from the screen even when the acting and writing was god awful. It was strangely entertaining.<p>

It wasn't like he needed the extra money like most boys his age. For some reason he enjoyed working. He felt a little sense of pride when he would mention little things that happened "at work." He had to admit, it kind of made him feel a little more mature and important. Blaine was never good at staying still and focusing on just one thing. He could be very hyper at times, a lot like a puppy dog. That shone through his performances with The Warblers. Blaine figured that that was why he was awarded practically every solo since he joined. And, he had to admit, he enjoyed the spotlight. Hell, he loved it. It made him feel alive and free.

This wasn't the most glamorous job, not really. It was typical for a "first job." Working at a coffee shop. The Lima Bean to be exact. There were days where he regretted choosing to work in a place where he had to prepare drinks for people. Those were the days where it seemed like everyone was out to get him, complaining that their coffee wasn't hot enough or too hot. Or whining about the fact that the coffee shop happened to be out of Splenda that particular morning.

And then there were those crazy "regulars." Like the old woman who would come by every Wednesday evening at six o'clock on the dot. Her timing never seemed to fail. Blaine knew. He had checked the clock every single evening and it had indeed been six o'clock. She always ordered an "extra dry, double shot cappuccino with whipped cream and no lid." Blaine faced the woman's wrath his third day on the job. The boy was still getting a feel for making drinks and understanding all of these coffee terms. He had offered her a lid, explaining that it was a safety precaution. "If I don't put a lid on the cup, ma'am, and you burn yourself, we can get in a lot of trouble," he offered kindly as he snapped the lid on the cup and slid it over to her. That had been his first mistake. Blaine half expected the woman to collapse on the floor and begin kicking and screaming like a child from the way she was yelling at him, going on about how, "Kids these days have no respect for their elders! They think they know everything there is to know about everything in life!" and some other complaints. Blaine couldn't really remember because by that time, he was simply nodding with a smile and tuning her words out, just watching as her face twisted angrily while she waved her hands about wildly.

Of course, not all regulars were as vile as Cappuccino Lady. There were also some very nice ones. Like the elderly couple who came by three (sometimes four) times a week and always ordered a tall drip coffee and a green tea. They always tucked a five dollar bill into the tip jar, telling Blaine that he was such a sweet boy and thanking him kindly when he handed them their drinks.

And then there was Grande Non-Fat Mocha. He didn't come by as often as Cappuccino Lady or the sweet elderly couple, but he stopped by quite enough for Blaine to memorize his order and know exactly how he liked his drink. Blaine knew exactly how much chocolate he liked in his mocha as well as the fact that it had to be sugar-free (he could taste the difference.) Blaine also knew that he didn't like it too hot. He liked his milk steamed to one hundred and forty, the perfect warm temperature. Blaine always saw him coming from afar and would promptly scribble his order onto the cup. Nine out of ten times, Blaine had his drink ready before he'd even place his order. Grande Non-Fat Mocha would smile sweetly at him and thank him as he handed Blaine his credit card.

Blaine really liked this boy. Their conversations were usually brief and consisted of how their day was going. A few times, Blaine was able to mention something exiting that happened over the course of his week like going to Six Flags with a few of his friends. He loved the way the boy would smile at him. He loved the way he would giggle and brush at his bangs when Blaine would greet him with "Grande Non-Fat Mocha?" and slide the cup over to him.

There were little things that Blaine had gathered about this boy in the two weeks that he had known him. First and foremost, he had an amazing eye for fashion. It was like a treat for Blaine to see what kind of outfit he would wear each day-that was, of course, in a totally non creepy way. He had also gathered that he was definitely around Blaine's age, give or take a year. Grande Non-Fat Mocha had stopped by with a friend one day and Blaine could have sworn he heard him call her Mercedes and he had kinda-sorta eavesdropped in on their conversation about some kind of set list which made Blaine wonder. Could they possibly be one of the teams The Warblers would compete against at sectionals? The New Directions from William McKinley High, was it? And then there was that one afternoon. Blaine had just clocked in to his four o'clock shift when he noticed Grande Non-Fat Mocha walking into the coffee shop. Blaine's stomach fluttered like it usually did when he saw the boy coming his way. He quickly scribbled the order on to the cup and handed it off to his co-worker who was making drinks that afternoon. Blaine's smile, however, quickly died down a little when Grande Non-Fat Mocha approached the counter. He didn't have that usual bounce in his step and his smile seemed a little forced as he gripped the strap of his bag. Blaine had offered a weak smile as he peeked at those eyes that looked bloodshot, like he had been crying. Of course, Blaine said nothing. He didn't even know this boy's name so it wasn't his business to pry into his personal life. He simply handed him his drink, with a kind smile as he spoke the drink order out-loud. His heart managed to skip a beat when the blue eyed boy's fingers accidentally (or he wondered, purposefully) brushed against his own when he took the cup. And for a moment, Blaine could have sworn he saw that forced smile turn into something a little more genuine.

One Sunday morning, Blaine decided to be a little smart-ass. He was tired of referring to this boy as Grande Non-Fat Mocha. After handing him his drink in exchange for that familiar credit card, Blaine focused his attention to the name imprinted on the card as he waited for the receipt to print out. Tugging at the paper, he ripped it free of the printer, holding it against the credit card and handing it across the counter to the boy with the pretty blue eyes. "Thank you, Kurt," he said, the name rolling off of his tongue with so much ease. It felt so natural. So nice.

Those blue eyes widened in the slightest as they stared back at Blaine. He blinked a few times, carefully grabbing at the card. "How did you…know my name?" he asked slowly as he slipped the card back into his wallet and neatly folded the receipt into his wallet as well.

Blaine grinned in response as his eyes flashed down to the wallet and back up to meet Kurt's. "Mind reader," he offered with a little wink. It was fairly early and slow. There was no one in line behind Kurt, so why not take the opportunity to flirt a little? "I saw it on the card," he finished with a small chuckle and he could have sworn he saw Kurt's face flush a little as he offered a soft, "Oh." And then Kurt was tucking his wallet into his pocket as a little smile tugged at the corners of his lips and Blaine couldn't help himself as his eyes flashed down for a brief moment to look at those pretty lips before meeting blue eyes once more.

"I think it's only fair that I get to know your name now." Blaine watched as Kurt's eyes flicked down to his chest as if he was looking for a name tag of some sort. He found nothing, turning his attention back to Blaine's eyes, eyebrows raising expectantly.

"My name's Blaine," he said finally, offering a hand to Kurt who in turn looked at his outstretched hand before finally taking a hold of it and shaking it.

"Well," Kurt said with a grin. "It's very nice to officially meet you, Blaine."


	2. A Little Game

**HOLYCRAP. The feedback on this story was better than I expected. Thank you so much for the support, everyone!  
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**I do not own Glee.  
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><p>After their first official meeting, Blaine noticed that Kurt had been stopping by The Lima Bean much more often than usual. Not much had changed, though. Every time Kurt walked through that door, Blaine's stomach would fill with butterflies and sometimes his heart would skip a beat. He would flash Kurt a huge grin to have a little wave directed at him in response. Blaine would quickly write Kurt's order on his cup, always making sure he wrote the boy's name on the side of the cup just because he had grown so fond of that name.<p>

On one particular day, Blaine had decided to try something new. As usual, the little bell above the door would ring, causing Blaine's head to snap up from whatever he was doing to see if it was Kurt walking through that door. A few times it had been a false alarm. Thankfully, Kurt always came by around the same time which saved Blaine an awful pain in his neck from looking off to the side so quickly, so often. Blaine practically bounced over to the register as he took the marker between his teeth, tugging the cap off and keeping it held in his mouth as he quickly wrote Kurt's order on the cup. However, this time, Blaine didn't write 'Kurt' on the cup. And, oh, Blaine really hoped he would see it because he would feel like a total doofus if this little plan of his managed to backfire, having Kurt simply toss the cup in the garbage without even spotting Blaine's special nickname.

Quickly glancing over to Kurt, he noticed the slim boy fumbling with something in his bag. Good, he had time to quickly write the nickname before Kurt arrived.

_Pretty Blue Eyes_

Oh, it was cheesy beyond belief, but Blaine had handed the cup to his co-worker before he could stop himself. He pulled the cap from between his teeth sliding it back onto the marker as he watched the petite girl eye the cup before arching a brow and grinning up at Blaine knowingly. Blaine couldn't help but grin back before laughing as Kurt finally stepped up to the counter. Blaine quickly rung up Kurt's order in the register as he greeted the tall boy with that same grin. "Good afternoon, sir," Blaine said as Kurt handed him some cash. "How's your day going?"

Kurt practically beamed in response as he spoke. "Great, actually. Got to break in a new pair of shoes today." Blaine handed Kurt's his change before leaning over the counter to take a peek at the shoes the boy mentioned. He arched a brow, "Toms?" he asked slowly. "Really?" Hazel eyes raised to meet blue ones.

"What?" Kurt asked defensively. "They're comfortable."

Blaine laughed quietly as he shrugged, standing up straight as he placed a hand on the counter, leaning a bit of his weight on it. "Toms just never struck me as…your type."

A little smile tugged at Kurt's lips. "Really now? What's my type then?" Kurt tried.

"Sperry Top-Sider," Blaine responded almost immediately.

Kurt looked genuinely impressed at the quick response. He grinned. "Impressive," was all he said before reaching out to take his drink when it was placed on the counter. He winked at Blaine. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Blaine's heart skipped a beat.

And that had been the start of Blaine's little game. That first time, he had seen Kurt look at the cup once he took a seat by the window. Blaine had watched as Kurt's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he had not looked in Blaine's direction. The boy refused to let that stop him, though. In fact, it had urged Blaine to keep doing it until he received a response from Kurt.

So, the next day, Blaine did it again.

_Sweet Michael Kors Messenger Bag_

Today, Blaine's co-worker-Maddie-had commented on the nickname. "You're crazy," she had told Blaine with a smile and roll of the eyes as she began pouring the chocolate into the cup. "And you have the weirdest methods for flirting."

"Hey," Blaine shot back, "at least I'm original."

"Yeah, whatever," Maddie said between giggles.

This time, when Kurt sat down at peeked down at the words scribbled on his cup, Blaine saw him crack a little smile. Though, like last time, he didn't look at Blaine. Damn it. Now Blaine decided he would make it his mission to make Kurt look at him.

On his third attempt, Blaine decided to go with something a little bolder, like the first nickname.

_Cute Laugh_

And like he had done the past two days, Blaine watched as Kurt took a seat at his usual table. He watched Kurt set his bag on the floor before crossing his legs gracefully and twirling the cup around. Kurt lowered his head a little, peeking at the cup curiously. And then, it happened. Kurt giggled as he mopped a hand over his face in a little bit of a shy gesture before those eyes finally found Blaine across the coffee shop. Kurt smiled softly as Blaine responded with a goofy grin, waving at Kurt. Mission accomplished.

It had been three days since they had seen each other the next time Kurt walked in. Blaine nearly leapt for the cup and marker, hastily writing the drink order and quickly racking his brain for a new nickname. There was nothing coming to mind though and Blaine was running low on time. So, he decided on something extra lame.

_Totally Awesome Amazing Hair_

Dropping the marker onto the counter, he handed the cup off to Maddie who snorted in laughter but said nothing. Blaine shot her a little look before his eyes found Kurt and he smiled. Kurt returned the smile before eyeing the cup. "So, what is it this time?" he asked, commenting on it for the first time.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Blaine said, holding out a hand. "That'll be three ninety-five," he added with a little smirk.

Kurt scoffed lightly, though he smiled as he pulled out his card and handed it over to Blaine. "I never thought drinking coffee could be so exciting," he commented as Blaine handed him his credit card back.

So, Kurt was enjoying this little game Blaine had started. That made his heart swell happily, butterflies swarming his stomach as he spoke up. "I like to keep thinks interesting," Blaine said with a little wink and he could have sworn he saw Kurt take in a quick little breath before those blue eyes flickered away from Blaine a bit shyly.

When Kurt received his coffee, he didn't check the name. It was like some sort of silent rule, that he could only look it at once he was seated in that usual spot of his. And indeed, like clockwork, he headed over to this table, setting his bag down and peeking at the cup. Blaine heard that amazingly adorable laugh as Kurt covered his mouth to silence himself, shoulders shaking in the slightest. He watched as Kurt turned his head a little to look at Blaine, smile turning into a full blown grin.

"I mean it, too," Blaine called across the shop as Kurt shook his head, still laughing softly as he finally dropped onto the chair and began pulling out a few papers from his bag.

Blaine quite liked this game.


	3. A Mentor

**So, I guess there are going to be some parts in this fan fic that goes over things that happened in the show depending on how long I make it or what direction I decide on going with it. So, I think I'll just skip over those parts or summarize. Anyway, HAPPY READING.**I

**I do not own Glee.**

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><p>For the next week, Blaine had continued the little nickname game with Kurt. He was surprised it lasted as long as it did and it was getting to the point where the names were getting absolutely ridiculous like, "Super Special Awesome Stupendous Wallet." That was the last one Blaine had written before finally giving up. There was only so much the boy could come up with. So, today, when Kurt walked into the coffee shop, Blaine decided on going with the name that had started it all, "Pretty Blue Eyes."<p>

Today, Blaine was the one making drinks. Maddie had written Kurt's coffee order and handed Blaine the cup along with the marker, very well aware by this point that it was Blaine's job to write down the name. It never failed to amuse her and she would always shoot him a knowing grin before shaking her head. Snapping the lid onto the Styrofoam cup, Blaine slid the cup over to Kurt as he looked up and smiled at the boy. "There you are," he said, gaze meeting Kurt's. Unlike the last few days, that little spark that Blaine always saw in those eyes was gone and it was replaced with a red tint. As soon as Blaine's eyes found Kurt's, though, the boy was lowering his head, avoiding eye contact. This was the second time Blaine noticed that Kurt looked like he had been crying. This time, though, Blaine didn't hide the fact that he was concerned. Eyebrows pulled together in the slightest as Blaine lowered his head a little to look at Kurt's face. "Hey," he muttered. "You okay?"

Blaine watched as Kurt reached for the cup, holding on to it but not lifting it from the counter. He kept his eyes trained on the cup as he shook his head with a dry laugh. "Not exactly."

Blaine didn't know this boy very well. He had never seen him outside of work but throughout these past few weeks, he had grown to like this boy a lot. Blaine admired him for his charm and witty comments. He admired Kurt for the fact that his style of dress was very flashy and he didn't care. Kurt was very sweet and very cute. Blaine really liked Kurt and he cared about him. "Wait right here," Blaine said quickly before moving over to Maddie. It was a Wednesday afternoon and the coffee shop was pretty dead, having customers coming by once every fifteen minutes. He practically begged for her to cover for him so that he could talk to Kurt. Without hesitation, she urged Blaine to go ahead, telling him to take his time and that she would be fine holding the coffee bar down on her own.

Tugging his apron off, Blaine tossed it into one of the cabinets before moving around the bar and urging Kurt to follow him. He picked a table in the far corner, away from the other customers. Blaine took a seat and offered Kurt to do the same. Wordlessly, Kurt did so.

"What's wrong?" If he was under any other circumstance, Blaine wouldn't have done this. Offered to talk to this boy he barely knew. But there was something in Kurt's eyes. Something screaming for someone to just listen. Someone he could just talk to. And Blaine was more than willing to be that person because Kurt mattered.

"School." It was the only word that came from Kurt. Blaine said nothing, though, waiting for him to continue. "I am the only person out of the closet at my school. And…there's this…football player who's just…been making it his mission to make my life a living hell."

And suddenly, Blaine understood everything. Kurt didn't have to explain because Blaine knew what it was like. He knew what everything meant when Kurt mentioned a jock and being bullied. Kurt was being harassed for being gay and at that moment, Blaine felt his heart shrink deep into his chest. Blaine didn't say the typical, "I'm sorry" or "That's awful" because he had heard that from others several times before. The apologies and the pity. It wasn't what Kurt needed right now. It wasn't what he had needed a year ago. "I know what you mean…" Kurt's head immediately lifted from where his gaze was trained on the table. "Last year, at my old school, I was harassed. I tried talking to the principal about it, but she didn't seem to care enough to do something about it." Blaine shrugged. "It was like she expected me to take care of it myself." Which was exactly what he ended up doing by transferring the hell out of that damn school. He ran away from it all. The bullies. The rumors. The teasing. He just couldn't take all of the pressure and the taunting. "So I did. And ended up transferring to a private school."

By this time, Kurt was staring down at his untouched mocha once again. He said nothing.

"Now, I'm not saying you should run away," Blaine stated, lowering and twisting his head a little to catch Kurt's gaze and bring it back up. "Because that's something I definitely regret doing. You should call this kid out. Stand up to him, Kurt." Blaine offered the boy a little smile, though it faded a little when he spoke again. "What he's doing to you isn't fair and it isn't right. No body deserves that kind of treatment." Especially someone like Kurt.

Kurt just kind of stared back at Blaine for a few seconds before finally sighing and tracing his finger along the lid of the cup. Blaine knew that it was easier said than done. But he didn't want to watch Kurt make the same mistake he did. He didn't want Kurt to go on the rest of his life knowing that he had let these ignorant kids chase him away.

"Thank you," Kurt finally whispered. His voice was soft and genuine as those blue eyes lifted to meet Blaine's. "Really." And his mouth twitched into a weak little smile.

Blaine reached out, placing a hand over Kurt's with a warm smile. Kurt was in the same situation Blaine found himself a year ago and Blaine wanted him to be stronger. He wanted Kurt to face the things Blaine was too afraid face. "I should probably get back to work," he said, peeking over Kurt's shoulder to see that a line was forming at the register. He looked back at Kurt, withdrawing his hand as he stood. He jogged over to the coffee bar, grabbing some receipt paper and scribbling his phone number onto it. He hurried over to Kurt's table, setting down the paper. "If you ever need someone to talk to," he began, "you can call me." Kurt smiled up at him and nodded, pulling out his phone to add Blaine's number to his contacts. Blaine grinned at Kurt before jogging back to the bar and promptly getting back to work.

Once the little rush died down, Blaine glanced back over to the table where he had left Kurt to find that it was empty. He almost frowned, wishing he had a chance to wave Kurt good-bye when he left. And, as if on cue, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Tugging it out, Blaine glanced down at the message from an unknown number,

_Hey :) It's Kurt. I tried waving good-bye I don't think you saw me. You seemed pretty busy. Thanks again for everything._

_-K._

Blaine couldn't help the goofy grin that found its way onto his face as he quickly saved Kurt's number on to his phone and responded,

_You really don't have to thank me. But, you're welcome anyway. ;)_

_-B._

Blaine would definitely call this progress in his friendship with Kurt.

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><p>Blaine was hoping that since Kurt now had his number, he would be able to talk to him more often. Get to know a little more about the boy and tell Kurt more about himself. He was hoping for a nice text message saying, "Hey, what's up?" but he didn't get that. In fact, he didn't receive a text for the next few days, nor did he see Kurt at The Lima Bean.<p>

It was on a Thursday, late in the morning when he got that text. Blaine was hurrying down the halls of Dalton, bag slung over his shoulder as he weaved through the crowd of uniformed boys. One hand gripped the strap of his bag while the other held his phone that he was about to slip into his pocket after checking the time. He was stopped half way there, though, when he felt the phone buzz in his hand. Glancing down, he saw that he had a message from Kurt which immediately made him smile. Stepping off to the side where a table and a few chairs were gathered, Blaine set his bag down as he tapped the screen of his phone to open the message. That little smile of his fell, though, when he read the contents of the text message,

_We need to talk. It's important. Please, call me as soon as you can._

_-K._

Pushing his bag aside, Blaine took a seat as he looked up at the students hurrying about. He had five minutes until his next class but he couldn't just go to class wondering what it was that Kurt needed to talk about. What was so important that he felt the need to send an urgent message to Blaine in the middle of a school day? Without a second thought, Blaine hit the 'call' button and raised the phone to his ear. He was almost certain that it was going to go to voicemail, but Kurt finally answered. He sounded a little out of breath, like maybe he had been running.

"Hello?"

"What's up? I just got your text." Blaine's voice was gentle as he spoke.

"Karofsky-The football player I told you about he…" Kurt trailed off and Blaine's stomach dropped.

"Are you hurt? Kurt, what happened?" Suddenly, Blaine felt so incredibly guilty. He was the one who had urged Kurt to stand up to the bully. He was the one who had told this innocent boy to stand up to some football player that was probably twice Kurt's size. Some guy who could very easily hurt Kurt.

"No, no. I'm fine," Kurt breathed and Blaine nearly sighed in relief.

"Then what happened?" he asked, voice free of the tension it held before.

"He kissed me." Kurt's voice was strained and he sounded like he was about to cry.

Blaine's eyebrows shot up and he felt like maybe he misunderstood what Kurt had just said. "He…kissed you?" Blaine asked slowly.

"Yes. In the locker room. I stood up to him, like you said-" guilt "-I confronted him. I told him I wasn't afraid-That he couldn't change me-That he could hit me all he wanted, but it would-" He heard Kurt choke back a sob. "And he just grabbed me and he kissed me."

Blaine breathed in slowly. Well, this was definitely something he wasn't expecting. The kid who was bullying Kurt turned out to be a closet case who was taking his frustrations and anger out on Kurt. "Calm down," Blaine said softly. "Just breathe, ok? Kurt it's ok. Listen. Are you still there?"

"Yes."

"I'll drive over there and we'll talk to him. It's obvious that he's having some serious issues. Maybe I can offer some advice. Convince him that it's ok to feel confused and alone. People like him…they just need to know that they have support. That they have someone who understands." Blaine fell silent, waiting for an answer, but got nothing. "Is that okay?"

"Yes. You really don't have to. I just-"

"Hey," Blaine interrupted with a little smile, "It's O.K., really. After my next class, I have a free period."

"Thank you, Blaine." It was the only thing Kurt said. He didn't argue and he didn't resist.

That little smile stayed on Blaine's face. "I gotta get to class now. Text me your school's name and I'll call you when I'm on my way. And just…take it easy, alright? Go lay down in the nurse's office if you have to."

"Alright…I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Kurt."

"…Bye, Blaine." And then the line went dead.

Slipping the phone into his bag, Blaine stood, lifting the strap over his shoulder and jogging down the hall.

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><p>His confrontation with Karofsky hadn't gone as smoothly as Blaine would have hoped. Of course, he didn't expect the guy to admit that he was totally gay, take Blaine and Kurt's hand and skip off into the sunset. But, Blaine also didn't expect the guy to throw him into a fence and warn Blaine not to "mess" with him. Blaine had to admit, at that moment, his heart had nearly sprung out of his chest as his stomach dropped. It was a cruel reminder of what he had dealt with at his old school. The kind of harassment and violence he had been exposed to. It reminded Blaine why he decided to hide within the polished walls of Dalton Academy. He had simply held his hands up in defense, letting Karofsky know that he meant absolutely no harm and wasn't looking for any sort of fight. He saw something flash across Karofsky's face after Kurt had yanked him away from Blaine. He noticed the shifty eyes and the way he had quickly descended down the stairs, nearly tripping when he reached the bottom. He was the biggest closet case Blaine had ever seen and it was a little pathetic.<p>

Currently, Blaine found himself sitting within a small café, Kurt sitting across from him. Blaine watched Kurt in silence, who was sitting with his elbow on the table, chin in hand, eyes cast out the window. They hadn't really said much to each other on the short drive here (Blaine had offered to drive, telling Kurt he shouldn't drive when feeling upset.) Kurt looked as upset as ever, those eyes focused outside.

With a little tilt of the head, Blaine finally spoke. "You still with me?" he asked carefully watching as Kurt dropped his hand onto the table a straightened up, looking at Blaine.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"It's fine. You just seem…really out of it." Blaine offered him a comforting little smile. Then again, Kurt have every reason to be "out of it." Especially after he had revealed to Blaine that he had just gotten his real kiss stolen this morning from a confused bully who was struggling with his sexuality. That, however, was a subject Blaine didn't want to touch. He wasn't even sure what to even say about it.

"It's just been a stressful day," Kurt admitted. "How long is your free period?" he asked suddenly, arching a brow.

Blaine lowered his head, looking a bit like a kicked puppy. "An hour," he admitted. He had definitely been gone for much longer than an hour. "Don't worry about that, though," he added quickly. This was more important. "One day isn't going to kill me. And you're not allowed to get on my case about it because you're skipping class, too." Blaine winked.

Kurt offered him a small smile. "Fair game."

"So, McKinley, huh?" Blaine asked with a smile. "I don't know why, but you strike me as the type of person who would be in the Glee club. New Directions?"

Kurt's eyes went a little wide. "Have you been stalking me?" he asked with a little laugh. "I don't know if I should be flattered or creeped out."

"Hey. No. Neither." Blaine laughed nervously. "I haven't been stalking you. I'm actually a member of the Dalton Warblers and we've done research on our competition. So, that doesn't count as stalking."

"Well, then, Blaine Warbler. I just thought I'd let you know that you have your work cut out for you. Because the New Directions are pretty awesome, especially since they have me." Kurt grinned and that just melted Blaine's heart. It was the first time he had seen Kurt smile so genuinely all day. He hated seeing Kurt so upset. And he hated knowing that he was upset because he had something a precious as a kiss stolen from him in some dirty locker room from a jock who seemed to be constantly fighting between the urge of kissing Kurt and punching him. He hated knowing that Kurt was going through the same thing Blaine had faced. He hated knowing that Kurt was constantly pushed into lockers and made fun of for being proud of who he was. It was something Blaine wished he could change, but knew he couldn't. He couldn't stop people from being ignorant and he couldn't stop the hate. He couldn't keep Kurt safe from bullies.

What he could do, though, was give Kurt support. Let Kurt know what he wasn't alone and that he had someone he could always talk to. Someone he could always call. Someone who understood how he felt. And that was what Blaine would do. He would be more than just "that nice barista at The Lima Bean." He would be Blaine Anderson, Kurt's friend. Kurt's support. Kurt's mentor.


	4. Just Some Stupid Bruises

**So, I decided to write this chapter in Kurt's POV because...I don't know, Kurt was just calling out to me XD ALSO, I have a tumblr if anyone is interested in following me 8D http:/justgidget. tumblr . com ...That's without the spaces, of course.**

**Happy reading!**

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><p>This relationship that Kurt and Blaine shared had moved past simply "acquaintances" after that Thursday afternoon Blaine drove all the way from Dalton Academy just to talk to the boy who had been bullying Kurt and then offered to buy Kurt lunch.<p>

Kurt really liked Blaine. More than he should have allowed himself in the short time they had known each other. But, it was difficult _not_ to like Blaine. For starters, he was gorgeous. Kurt was instantly captivated by those eyes the moment Kurt placed his coffee order one chilly Monday morning before school. Blaine had flashed Kurt this brilliant smile and for a moment, Kurt glanced over his shoulder, wondering if Blaine was smiling at somebody he knew behind him. Because that smile…it was something Kurt didn't see often. It wasn't every day that a gorgeous boy smiled at Kurt like he had known him for years. Like they were good friends when in reality, he hadn't even known Blaine's name at the time.

Getting along with Blaine was easy and took absolutely no effort. Every single time Kurt would receive a text message from Blaine, Kurt's heart would skip a beat and his stomach would fill with butterflies. The first time Blaine had called him, Kurt was almost too nervous to answer the phone. After a few moments of just staring at the screen, he decided to press his finger against the 'answer' button and carefully raise the phone to his ear. He knew it seemed silly, but there was something about hearing Blaine's voice so close to his ear that felt kind of intimate. Like it was just him and Blaine and no body else. It made Kurt's heart race as little feeling of absolute giddiness settled deep within his stomach. He was in pure bliss. The text messages had slowly turned into phone conversations that lasted for one hour each night. They would talk about each other's day. Kurt hated mentioning his run-ins with Karofsky, but for some reason, Blaine would always ask about them if Kurt didn't mention anything. And Kurt hated lying Blaine because he really, _really_ liked Blaine. It almost felt as if he lied about something, somehow he would be letting his friend down.

The last time Kurt had grown so close to someone so quickly was with Mercedes. They had immediately clicked upon meeting, quickly finding that they had something fabulous in common: their incredible taste and love for fashion. And, of course, their personalities. Both Kurt and Mercedes were sassy and were divas. Sure, their taste in music differed a bit, but that didn't matter. They both enjoyed _music_ which was enough.

That's kind of how it was for Blaine. The boy didn't seem to be as fashion crazy as Kurt was, but it was enough. He loved Vogue enough to name off his favorite Vogue cover and know what shoes went with what pants. He also had this incredible love for Broadway and, of course, singing and performing. He loved the spotlight and he loved being on stage. The first time Kurt had seen Blaine performing, his knees nearly went weak. It was during a visit to Dalton Academy. Kurt hadn't told Blaine about it, simply driven over to check the school out because secretly, he had been considering transferring out of McKinley. After the kiss, things with Karofsky were starting to get ugly. The shoving was becoming numerous and so was the name calling. At first, Kurt would just glare heatedly at the taller boy. But after a few weeks, he was beginning to grow tired of it all. He was drained and he reached the point where he would just lean against the lockers for several minutes, avoiding the little glances that people gave him as they walked by. They looked at Kurt. They watched Karofsky throw him into the lockers, yet they did nothing. They said nothing. So, yes, Kurt was considering a transfer to another school and the first on his list was Dalton Academy. It was like a safe haven with the zero tolerance policy Blaine had talked about. It was like this safe haven designed for kids like Kurt and Blaine. Upon returning home the night of his visit, though, Kurt ended up ruling the school out, seeing how incredibly expensive the tuition was. Not only was Dalton a private school, it was also very large and prestigious. He knew very well that his dad and Carole could not afford a place like that, no matter how perfect it might have been for Kurt.

Blaine was kind. Possibly one of the kindest people Kurt had ever met. Did Kurt also mention that he was gorgeous? Because he really, really was. He had one of the brightest smiles Kurt had ever seen. He had this smile that drew the attention of a room and shined light into any negative situation. For that reason, Kurt loved spending time with Blaine. He never turned down an opportunity to hang out with his new friend because, really, it took his mind off of all of the trouble that was brewing at McKinley. Kurt had even turned down a date with Mercedes to spend time with Blaine and Kurt felt awful for doing such a thing to his best friend but, really, it was so hard to say no to Blaine. To pass up an opportunity to disconnect himself from McKinley if only for one evening. Kurt loved his friends in the New Directions, he really did. But he hated the school. He hated the lack of education he was getting there and he hated the fact that nobody (besides his friends) would give him a second glance when they saw that he was very obviously being harassed.

Kurt was beginning to develop bruises on his back. Really, it should have been something he should be used to, but not to this extent. This wasn't the first time he would be slammed into lockers. Noah Puckerman had done it to Kurt last year, but that had been two, maybe three times. With Karofsky, it was escalating to something of a daily basis. Kurt found himself being thrown into that harsh metal three, sometimes four times a week. Kurt would find himself jumping, startled at the sound of a slammed locker. Nearly flinching when he would close his own, waiting for that face and those eyes to be staring him down. Threatening him. Harassing him. Kurt used to love going to school. Now he dreaded it. He hated forcing himself out of bed every morning and silently convincing himself that it would be worth it in the end. That he would graduate top of his class and gain the recognition he needed to get into a good college. A school far away from this stupid city that didn't understand him or what he was about. A place where people would admire Kurt for everything he was. He deserved more, so more much more than anything Lima, Ohio had to offer him. Kurt had big dreams and he intended on making them a reality. All of that would be possible if he just held on and kept strong through this.

It was hard, though, as he stood in front of his bathroom mirror. Kurt had his back to it, half dressed, hair still dripping wet. He stared at his battered back. Some of the fresh bruises from earlier today were still red while some others were fading into that disgusting yellowish color. Kurt hated the way his back looked. It made him sick. He was so conscious about his skin and always made sure it was flawless-and it was, save for his back. He was thankful that he could at least hide it from everyone. This was something even his dad didn't know about and Kurt intended on keeping it that way. His father suffered enough simply knowing that Kurt was being harassed by Karofsky. As far as he was concerned, Karofsky's abuse was only verbal. Kurt refused to tell his dad about the locker shoving because that gave his dad more of a reason to worry. His dad had been through enough with his heart condition, he didn't need something like this. Besides, his dad knowing wouldn't change a thing. It wouldn't stop Karofsky, so it didn't really matter anyway.

All of this stress was taking a toll on Kurt's body. He was losing weight and he was always tired, no matter how much he slept. One Saturday, he ended up sleeping in until noon, and it had been years since Kurt had slept in that late. And despite the fact that he had about thirteen hours of sleep that night, Kurt was still exhausted. So, when he heard the news about his dad and Carole officially getting married, Kurt was ecstatic beyond belief. This would give him something to look forward to. It would shine a little bit of light into his life, knowing that his dad had found a woman that truly made him happy. And Kurt loved Carole-oh, he loved her so very much. She would never replace his mother and she had made it very clear that she wasn't trying to. But she filled that hole in Kurt's heart. She filled that maternal little spark that Kurt had been missing in his life for so many years. He promised Carole that her wedding would be absolutely amazing because he would be the one planning it. And, honestly, Kurt was so incredibly excited because this would be the first time Kurt planned a wedding. It was a dream come true.

"Kurt, that's amazing," Blaine was saying as he took a seat across from Kurt after gathering up some sugar and a stirrer for his coffee. It was a little weird seeing Blaine out of his work uniform and in his Dalton blazer in The Lima Bean. It seemed like every time Kurt saw the older boy he was in some kind of uniform.

"Gosh, I know!" Kurt nearly squealed, bouncing in his seat. "I'm an amazing match maker and I was sure they would get along but, honestly, I didn't think they would be getting married this soon!" He sighed almost dreamily. "It's incredible. They're so in love and the way they just look at a each other is just…so beautiful." And that was the hopeless romantic coming out of Kurt.

Blaine only smiled as he stirred the sugar into his coffee before raising the little stick to his mouth, sucking at it for a moment and placing it down on the table. Kurt arched a brow, silently counting the empty packets of sugar that were sitting beside Blaine's coffee as he snapped the lid on. "Three packs of sugar, Blaine?" Kurt asked slowly before sighing and taking a drink of his own coffee, a nonfat mocha, of course. "Do you really need that much sugar in your coffee?"

"Yes." The answer was simple and straight to the point. Blaine grinned across the table at Kurt in a way that made his stomach do this weird little flipping motion. Blaine shrugged. "It's really good. You should try it sometime."

"No, thank you." The answer was sharp and quick. "I'd like to live a long and healthy life."

Blaine rolled his eyes with a little laugh. "Oh, please." And then he took a drink of his coffee.

"So, I was wondering…" Kurt began slowly, he couldn't help but feel like he was asking Blaine to be his date for the wedding. He wasn't, though. They were just friends. He didn't want to creep Blaine out or anything, but damn, he would be the happiest boy in that room if Blaine agreed to be his date for the night, even if it was kind of unofficial. "If you would be interested in coming to my dad and Carole's wedding next weekend. I know it's a little short notice and if you can't make it, that's fine. You probably already have plans-"

Blaine cut him off with a little laugh. "Kurt." Why did his name sound so amazing when Blaine said it? "I'd love to. It sounds like fun. It's all you've been talking about for the past three weeks and I'd really like to see how it turns out."

It was difficult to keep himself from bouncing up and down from excitement when Blaine agreed to going to the wedding-actually, he said he would love to and that made Kurt feel extremely giddy. He grinned before taking a sip of his mocha. "Oh, I promise, you will be impressed."

Blaine laughed.

Kurt's heart raced.

The ceremony was wonderful. Perfect, actually. No one tripped during their dance routine down the aisle and his father and Carole's vows to each other were amazing. The tears that threatened to spill over his cheeks were difficult to hold back throughout everything, but Kurt managed. He didn't want to turn into this sobbing mess in front of everyone.

The after party was turning out to be just as wonderful. His father hadn't stepped on Carole's feet and Kurt nearly sighed in relief when the dance came to end. And then, Finn was giving a toast that suddenly turned into a promise to Kurt. A promise to stand up for him and an apology for not being a man. Before Kurt knew it, the entire Glee club was up on the dance floor and they were singing to him. Again, he was trying not to cry as Finn tugged him out of his seat to dance. This night was turning out to be much more amazing that Kurt could have hoped for. Once the song had ended and Finn and Kurt shared a hug, Kurt returned to his table, glancing back at Blaine who was sitting at one of the tables that was now empty due to the New Directions moving to the dance floor of the number they put together for Kurt. When Kurt had glanced back at Blaine, he noticed the older boy had been watching him and Kurt's stomach flipped just as Blaine smiled at him. Turning away from Blaine, Kurt leaned over to his dad who was idly chatting away with his new wife.

"Hey dad, I'm gonna go sit with Blaine. He looks kind of lonely over there."

His dad bumped Kurt lightly on the shoulder before nodding. "Sure thing, kiddo." And then he was returning to his conversation with Carole as Kurt stood and made his way towards Blaine. As he approached the older boy, Blaine spoke up. "You have some pretty amazing friends, Kurt," he said, watching as Kurt took a seat beside him.

"Yeah." Kurt smiled softly as his eyes trailed back over to the dance floor just as the DJ spoke into the microphone.

"Alright, guys, what do you say we turn down the lights and get this party started!" Kurt resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the cheesiness of that statement and turned to look back at Blaine just as the room dimmed down a bit. Blaine was still watching him with that little smile as Kurt spoke up, "They're the reason I haven't left McKinley."

By this time, music was blasting out of the speakers as people began flooding into the dance floor, his dad and Carole included. Kurt tried his best to keep his voice loud enough so Blaine could hear him. "So, what do you think?" he asked, gesturing around him.

"I think it looks amazing. You're quite the wedding planner, Kurt Hummel." At this, Blaine's hand lightly fell on Kurt's knee as he grinned. It was almost too overwhelming for Kurt. The physical contact and that gorgeous smile. Thankfully, the room was dark enough to hide the blush that crept over Kurt's cheeks as he returned the smile just as Blaine stood, and Kurt's eyes followed him curiously. They were one of the few people who were still sitting at the tables.

Kurt's eyes found Blaine's outstretched hand as Blaine said something Kurt couldn't really hear. Eyebrows hiked as Kurt shook his head. "What?" he called over the music.

Blaine leaned down and spoke into Kurt's ear. "I said, will you dance with me?"

Kurt swallowed nervously as Blaine raised his head to look down at Kurt again, smile soft and inviting and, duh! Of course Kurt would dance with him! What the hell kind of question was that? Kurt nodded as he took Blaine's hand and was lead to the dance floor just as he did a new song began. "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz. And from beside him, he heard Puck yell, "Oh, yeah!" excitedly as he danced along. Kurt looked back at Blaine, watching as he sang along bouncing along to the song. And soon enough, the beat was picking up and Kurt found himself dancing with Blaine. After a minute or so, the chorus was rolling out of the speakers and Kurt and Blaine were singing to each other, grinning. And then, Brittany was behind Kurt, grinding up against him, making him burst out laughing before Santana was tugging her away to dance with her. Then, the song was ending and flowing into a new one, "Like A G6." And Blaine was grabbing and Kurt's wrist, tugging him closer. Kurt had never been this close to another boy and it sent little chills down his spine and it made his heart race at this ridiculous speed. He was blushing wildly. Kurt was loving every second of it and that giddy smile on his face refused to leave as he watched Blaine dance and, damn, that boy had a ridiculous amount of energy that only made Kurt like Blaine even more than he already did. That little crush that he had on Blaine was starting to turn into something more and he didn't care because Blaine was amazing. Blaine cared about Kurt. Blaine had asked Kurt to dance with him tonight and he wasn't holding back or keeping a ridiculous amount of space between himself and Kurt. He was close and it felt nice to be close to this boy Kurt had grown to like so very much.

The wedding after party was over before he knew it and soon enough, the lights were on and there was only a handful of people left. Half of the New Directions had gone home and Kurt's dad and Carole were packing the wedding presents into the car as Kurt gathered one of the main flower arrangements to take home. They were simply too amazing not to. Blaine helped Kurt pack the arrangement into the back of his Navigator. Once Kurt had said goodbye to everyone and promised his dad he would go straight home from here "because it's late" he was walking back to his car with Blaine who offered to walk Kurt before he headed to his own car. Stopping at the driver's side, Kurt unlocked the door and tugged it open before looking at Blaine. "Thanks for coming with me tonight," he said with a small smile.

"Are you kidding?" Blaine grinned. "I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. Tonight was amazing, Kurt. Thank _you_ for inviting me."

Kurt couldn't help but smile in return. "Well, this was all a part of my big plan, of," he said. "Of course, it had to be absolutely amazing."

Blaine shook his head with a little laugh as he opened his arms a little. "Do I get a hug goodbye?" he asked with this expectant little look that just made Kurt's heart melt into a pathetic little puddle.

"Only because you asked so nicely," Kurt said before stepping forward and pulling Blaine into a gentle embrace. And for those few moments, everything was so perfect. Blaine's body was warm against Kurt, keeping the cool air of the night at bay, and his hands were equally warm against Kurt's back. And then that perfection was gone when Kurt realized that those hands were touching over those horrible bruises that no body knew about. That Kurt was afraid to tell his father about for fear of making him sick. That Kurt was afraid to tell Blaine about for fear of being a burden.

Just as quickly as that moment had come, it had gone when Blaine pulled away to smile up at Kurt with those pretty eyes and that amazing smile.

"Call me when you get back to your dorm?" It was a silent little agreement between Kurt and Blaine. Whenever Blaine would drive back to Dalton when it was late, there was this unspoken promise that Blaine would call Kurt as soon as he got home to let him know he was safe.

Blaine nodded. "Of course." And then a little pat on the arm. "Good night, Kurt."

Kurt hesitated for a moment, those thoughts about the bruises on his back clogging his mind. The idea of maybe opening up to Blaine soon and telling him about them just because Kurt wanted someone to talk to. "Good night." His smile was a little weak as he turned to his car and climbed in.

Blaine had become that person that Kurt believed he could relate to. The first person who understood Kurt. So, why was it so hard for him to open up about something so simple as some stupid bruises on his back?


	5. Home For Christmas

Slowly, Blaine was getting to know what kind of boy Kurt was and he had to admit that he really, really liked him. He was quite possibly one of the most unique people that Blaine had ever come to know and he found it so incredibly fascinating. He loved hearing Kurt talk, even complain about this Rachel Berry girl from Glee club. Apparently, she was his biggest competition in the group and she had a killer voice. Usually, the Glee club's coach, Mr. Schuester gave her the solos. It was weird hearing that the New Directions had a coach considering Blaine was so used to working as a group with The Warblers. The New Directions seemed to be a monarchy when The Warblers were more like a democracy.

Blaine always asked Kurt about any development with Karofsky and constantly reminded him that if things got worse, to see the principal immediately. There wasn't much Blaine could do from his position, but he was more than willing to offer Kurt all of the advice and knowledge he had gained from personal experience. He worried for Kurt's well being, to be honest. He didn't want things to escalate to a level where he would be beaten until he bled. He could see it in Kurt's eyes, he was close to that breaking point. Behind that smile he saw a boy who was slowly falling apart at the seams. A boy who was worn down by the harsh treatment that was homophobia. Blaine only wished there was something he could do to get Karofsky to either stop or leave McKinley. He seemed to be the only one giving Kurt a hard time. Blaine wanted to get through to this confused boy, show him that everything was going to be alright and things would only get better if he just _listened_ to what Blaine had to say and take that first step in accepting who he was. He was stubborn, though. The kind that would blindly throw his fists about wildly.

Blaine was worried about Kurt and his safety at McKinley. He had briefly mentioned that he would have loved Kurt to transfer to Dalton, but the tuition there was very expensive and he knew that not everybody was fortunate enough to come from a wealthy family like his. Blaine was almost ready to offer to pay for half of Kurt's tuition but Blaine was certain Kurt wouldn't accept. Blaine was also sure his parents wouldn't be cool with that considering they didn't even know Kurt to begin with. Blaine just really didn't want to see Kurt end up in the same situation Blaine found himself a year ago. Beaten to a bloody mess, sobbing in the back seat of a car, nearly crying for his mother who was out of town for work.

* * *

><p>Soon enough, sectionals came around and Blaine found himself competing against Kurt. He tried not to think about it on a personal level. It was just friendly competition and surely enough, Blaine didn't let everything get to his head when he found himself singing on that stage. He didn't want to seem big headed, but he was certain they would win-well, technically they did, but he was not expecting a tie. It didn't matter, though. The fact was that they won and they were on their way to regionals to compete against The New Directions yet again.<p>

It was hard watching Kurt struggle. He could see pain hidden behind those blue eyes Blaine grew to love so very much. Things with Karofsky weren't getting worse, but they weren't getting any better. Kurt was still being pushed around and he would still have profanities yelled at him. He briefly mentioned that his friends promised to keep him safe, but there were times when they couldn't walk the halls together and that was when Karofsky managed to shoulder Kurt into the lockers or purposefully bump into him, knocking Kurt to the floor. Whenever Kurt would tell Blaine about this, he would have to bite his tongue to keep himself from muttering profanities. There had been a few times that Kurt had called Blaine _crying_ because his day had been so awful. Days where he had kept all of his emotions bottled up before letting them all spill out once he was in the safety of his home.

Winter break was right around the corner and the exams and mid-term papers were beginning to pile up. It was at this point that Blaine kind of regretted getting that job in the Lima Bean. He had been balancing his job, the winter show he was performing at, school work and Warbler practice all at once. He almost ended up breaking down in an anxiety attack one night in his dorm room. But, Blaine was the king of keeping it cool and he managed to calm himself with a few breathing exercises he had learned from a therapist his parents had sent him to after the incidents at his old school. Surprisingly, the damn exercises worked. That, and Blaine was also enjoying the fact that he had been spending so much time with Kurt now that they were more than just acquaintances. Every now and then Blaine would invite Blaine over to his dorm at Dalton for study dates. Well, they weren't really _dates_ considering he and Kurt weren't a couple, but Kurt was the one who came up with the term and Blaine liked the sound of it. Friends went on dates, right?

"I can't wait to get these exams over," Kurt groaned as he dropped his head onto the textbook that lay open on his desk. Behind him, Blaine was lying on Kurt's bed on his stomach, two text books open in front of him with a few papers completely filled with notes scattered about him. Blaine looked up from his work smiling a little at Kurt's back. He was slumped lazily over the desk, arms spread on either side of his head, cheek pressed to the text book. "I'm so tired of reading about Charlemagne."

Blaine laughed a little as he slung his arm over his books and rested his chin over it. "Any special plans for the holidays?" he asked.

Kurt sat up before twirling around his seat to look at Blaine with a little smile. "My dad said we're going to have a big Christmas dinner."

With a little tilt of the head and a smile, Blaine listened on.

"It's the…uh…first Christmas dinner we'll be having as a big family since my mom." He didn't say much else, leaving the sentence hanging for a few moments before he continued. "Carole has insisted on taking care of dinner. I think she is the first person I have come across who's cooking is as amazing as mine." Kurt grinned a little before leaning back in his chair. "What about you?"

Blaine shrugged. "I was just gonna spend Christmas here with some of the other guys who aren't going home."

Kurt's eyebrows hiked. "Wait, why aren't you going home?"

"My parents' business trip has been extended over the holidays and there's no way they can get out of it," Blaine said with his best attempt at looking positive and unbothered by it when it reality, he was pretty much devastated.

"Come home with me for winter break," Kurt said almost immediately. Maybe too quickly, but Blaine didn't pay much mind to that.

"Kurt I…I wouldn't want to impose on your family. It's Christmas."

"_Exactly_," Kurt said as he raised a finger. "It's Christmas. So you shouldn't have to spend it alone."

"I'm not going to be alone, though-"

"I won't take no for an answer," Kurt said as he spun back around to face his desk once more. "You're spending Christmas with me and my family. End of discussion."

And because Blaine knew Kurt well enough by now to know that there was no arguing when he had his mind made up, Blaine just smiled as he moved his arm from where it rested on his text book and continued on with his silent studying. Secretly, he was ecstatic that Kurt had invited him over for Christmas.

* * *

><p>"So you're the kid who Kurt won't stop talking about, huh?"<p>

"Dad!"

All Blaine could do was stand awkwardly in the kitchen as he watched Kurt shoot his father a sharp look before bowing his head to continue working at the potatoes. Blaine watched Burt Hummel make his way towards Blaine as he offered the boy a hand to shake. Blaine was surprised when he first saw Burt walk into the room. Burt was definitely not what Blaine expected after hearing all the stories about how supportive Burt was of his son. He looked like the butch, manly, trucker type. The type of man who would kick his son out of the house if he found out he was gay. Not encourage him to fight for a song that was traditionally sung by a woman. It warmed Blaine's heart, finally meeting the wonderful man who was lucky enough to have such an amazing son.

Blaine gave Burt's hand a firm shake. "It's a pleasure, sir," he said with a grin. "I can't thank you enough for having me over. My parents went out of town and-"

"I know," Burt interrupted with a smile, "Kurt told me everything."

Blaine's eyes moved over to Kurt who was still bending over the counter, now beating the potatoes violently. "Dad, can you please just-I think Carole needs your help setting the table." Blaine could tell that it was just an excuse to get his father to leave the room to save himself from further embarrassment.

Blaine gave Burt a small nod goodbye before the man rolled his eyes at his son and left the kitchen. Blaine decided that he really liked this man and he admired him just like he admired Kurt. Hell, he admired the amazing relationship they shared. It was like nothing he had ever seen before and Blaine was so incredibly happy that he had such a supportive family. And everyone was so incredibly kind, too, Blaine noticed as they sat down for dinner. Carole had this amazingly sweet, maternal aura about her. A kind of air that made Blaine want to sit close to her. It made Blaine miss his own mother whom he hadn't seen months. Blaine found himself smiling over at Kurt quite often throughout the dinner, staying mostly silent during the conversation that went around the table. He was grateful for Kurt. Blaine never thought he'd be so happy about being forced somewhere like today. He claimed that he didn't want to impose on Kurt's family, but he longed for a Christmas dinner in an environment like this. It also made Blaine feel a little better when he noticed that one of Finn's friends, Puck, was also over for dinner that evening.

Dinner was wonderful and Blaine insisted on helping with the dishes because, really, it was the least he could do. Eventually, Blaine found himself in Kurt's room as Kurt showed him around. He explained that at their old house, his room was much bigger considering it was the basement. When Carole moved in with Finn, though, they started sharing the room and that, Kurt explained, is when Kurt's crush on Finn began dying down. When he saw how "horrifyingly disgusting" Finn was.

Blaine laughed. "I still can't believe you used to have a crush on [I]Finn[/I]."

"Don't remind me," Kurt snapped as he sat on the edge of his bed, crossing his legs Indian style. "I was young and naïve."

"That was less than a year ago, though-"

"I was young and naïve, Blaine," Kurt repeated with a tone that cut right through Blaine.

Blaine laughed a little, raising his hands in defense. "Okay, okay, fine." He grinned before falling back onto Kurt's bed and, holycrap, "Ohmygod, you have the most comfortable bed _ever_."

"I know," Kurt sighed. "Those beds at Dalton are horrible. How do you sleep at night?"

"You get used to it." Blaine shrugged a little before rolling into his stomach and nuzzling into the pillow. And he didn't mean to sound like a total creep, but it smelled like Kurt and that made him smile almost fondly. Did he mention Kurt smelled _really_ nice? "So jealous," Blaine mumbled into the softness of the pillow. Blaine felt Kurt flop back onto the bed as he continued to speak. "I wonder if I can bring this bed back with me," Blaine mused out loud as he rolled onto his back and turned his head to look at Kurt who was lying on his stomach, little closer than Blaine anticipated.

Kurt arched a brow. "Are you hinting that you're planning on kidnapping my bed, Blaine Warbler?"

Blaine grinned. "Maybe."

Kurt laughed softly and then a comfortable silence fell between them where Blaine was just looking up at the ceiling and Kurt's head was turned towards Blaine. He could feel those eyes on him, watching him in silence. And then, Kurt finally spoke up. "How did you get through it?" The question was gentle.

With a quiet little, "Hm?" Blaine turned his head to look at Kurt who was still staring at him.

"Everything at your old school." His voice was a soft as ever, a hint of curious innocence in it that melted Blaine's heart.

"I barely did," Blaine admitted after a long pause, looking back up at the ceiling, a hand resting over his own stomach. "It wasn't even two months since I had come out until I transferred." It was a difficult subject to talk about. Actually, Blaine hated talking about it in detail, but Kurt had asked and Blaine felt the need to answer. If he wasn't going to be strong for himself, he needed to give Kurt that strength. "People were cruel. They yelled profanities at me in the hallways and even beat the hell out of me one time." Blaine swallowed the lump welling in his throat before turning his face to look at Blaine. "Kurt, you are one of the bravest people I have ever met…and I really admire you for that. Standing up for yourself the way you do and showing no fear to bullies like Karofsky. It takes a lot." Blaine smiled before reaching out to gently touch Kurt's back and he could have almost sworn he felt Kurt tense up for a moment. "Things will get better. I promise. You just have to stay positive. I know it's hard but…please."

Kurt simply nodded, eyes a little glassy. Blaine offered his friend a little smile before soothing his hand along that back. "Hey," he muttered. "Don't cry. It's Christmas. You're not allowed."

Kurt sniffed in response before letting out a watery laugh and reaching up to wipe at his eyes.

"There we go," Blaine mumbled before offering Kurt a gentle smile.

And then, a voice at the door. "Uhh…" Blaine sat up, along with Kurt as both their heads snapped in the direction of the voice. Finn was standing awkwardly at the door. "Sorry if I was, um, interrupting anything but, uh, Kurt, mom said to come down stairs to open presents and stuff."

Kurt nodded. "We'll be down in a second, Finn." And then, the tall boy was hurrying away.

Pushing off of the bed, Blaine offered Kurt his hand. "You heard him, time for presents!" Blaine grinned as Kurt took his hand and Blaine practically tugged him off of the bed and out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Uh, you guys really didn't have to get me anything." Blaine was staring down at the box sitting in his lap, feeling a little awkward and out of place. He was just Kurt's friend over for Christmas. He wasn't expecting presents and now he felt damn guilty. Like some stray dog in need of a home.<p>

"Nonsense!" Carole said, waving her hand. "When Kurt told me you were coming over, I had to get you something, dear. You've been such a positive influence on Kurt's life recently, he-"

"Carole!" Kurt cut in, dropping his face to his hands. This family seemed to be very open with everything. Secrets were practically non existent in this house, it seemed. Blaine laughed at Kurt's adorable reaction.

"Oh, don't pretend like it's not true, Kurt. Ever since you met Blaine-"

"Ohmygod, can we please just move on to opening the presents and stop talking about Blaine?"

Blaine was still grinning. "But I like being talked about," he teased, watching Kurt who shot him a nasty look that only Kurt could pull off to gracefully.

"I agree with Kurt," Burt interjected, saving his son from further embarrassment as he began unwrapping his own gift.

Kurt sighed beside Blaine and all he could do was chuckle in response. Kurt was pretty much the most adorable boy Blaine had ever met. And he wanted to keep Kurt safe for as long as the younger boy would let him. Kurt was special and Kurt mattered. And he deserved to be happy. He didn't deserve any of this torment that some in the closet bully was forcing on him.


	6. Secrets

After much convincing on Kurt and Carole's part, Blaine found himself being talked into spending the remainder of his winter break at the Hudson-Hummel household. After tossing some clothes and toiletries into a duffel bag, Blaine found himself settling into the guest bedroom, Carole letting him know that if he needed anything, anything at all, he shouldn't be shy to ask. Blaine agreed, though he made it his mission to stay out of everyone's way the entire time he would be spending over, especially Burt's. The man could be a little intimidating and Blaine had a feeling that had something to do with the fact that Kurt liked Blaine so much. Blaine knew Kurt had had a rough year and lately things had gotten heavier. So, Blaine could understand why Burt was so overprotective. He was a kind man, though. A little scary, but kind. He willingly welcomed Blaine to stay in his home, telling him that no kid deserved to spend the holidays alone. Blaine could only smile warmly at this.

Blaine was quickly learning that working the holiday season at a coffee shop could be rather overwhelming at times. The Lima Bean wasn't located inside of a mall where the shop constantly had traffic of holiday shoppers, but it was on a busy intersection surrounded by several different shopping centers. That was enough to attract the shoppers that were out and about returning and exchanging their Christmas presents. Blaine was offered a few extra hours the day after Christmas and Blaine decided on taking up the offer, deciding it would make him look good as an employee and that definitely mattered to Blaine. The time for college applications was drawing near and Blaine needed all the positive references he could get.

It was that rare hour of the day where the rush would die down when Maddie asked that question Blaine just _knew_ she had been dying to ask for weeks now.

"So, are you two dating, or what?"

Blaine blinked away from the blank receipt paper he was doodling on with a sharpie. "Huh?" he muttered, even though he was very well aware of what the young woman was trying to get at.

Jutting her hip out a little and placing a hand on it, Maddie shook her head. "Really?" she asked, voice flat. "You and Kurt. You guys act enough like a couple to be considered one. So, is it official yet?"

Blaine drew his eyebrows together. He had never really thought of _dating_ Kurt, actually. He thought the boy was very, very cute and Blaine loved spending time with him but…dating? "We're just friends, Maddie," Blaine said, returning his eyes to the piece of paper that previously held his attention before Maddie decided to prod into his personal business. What Kurt needed in his life now was a support system. He needed someone who understood him. Someone who would listen to him and a shoulder to cry on. Not some gay boy who wanted to get into his pants-Woah. Okay. Bad way to word it. Blaine _wasn't_ some gay boy who wanted to get into Kurt's pants. Kurt was too classy for that and Blaine was definitely not that type of guy anyway.

"I've seen the way you look at him, you know," Maddie was saying as she wiped down the counter with a small towel, eyes on Blaine. Her voice was quiet.

Blaine looked up from the paper to glance over at his co-worker. Her expression was soft. Blaine shook his head with a little laugh. "Yeah, well, we're just _friends_, ok? I promise, there isn't anything going on between us."

"When that 'something' does happen, though," Maddie continued, "You better tell me." She threw the towel at Blaine's head and he barely dodged it with another laugh.

It was something Blaine never really thought about. Kurt as his _boyfriend_? Not that there was anything wrong with that. Blaine was sure that Kurt would make an excellent boyfriend, but Blaine wasn't sure if _he_ would be able to do the same thing. What he shared with Kurt was something special. From the moment he saw this boy, Blaine really felt something deep in his chest. He knew that Kurt was a special person and he wanted to be a part of Kurt's life in some way. And this special friendship they had was enough for Blaine. He just wanted to be _something_ in Kurt's life.

Kurt had promised Blaine a visit today and as always, he kept his word. He wasn't alone, though, as he walked through the door. Behind him, Finn trailed along like a really big, awkward looking puppy. If Blaine didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Finn was years younger than Kurt, despite their height difference.

Kurt nearly bounced up to the counter, placing both palms against the granite. "Hi Blaine!" Kurt said excitedly, as if he hadn't seen Blaine in weeks. "Can… I have…" he trailed off, looking up at the menu. Blaine arched a brow with a little smile. This was something Kurt had attempted to do before. Order something different but every time he tried, he ended up deciding on the usual.

"Are you really going to try ordering something different again?" Blaine said as he wrote Kurt's order down on the cup, adding the name 'Pretty Blue Eyes' beside the order. It was a nickname Blaine decided to stick to and Kurt didn't seem to mind at all.

Kurt sighed pathetically, "No," he admitted before looking up at Finn who was staring up at the menu, quietly reading off the drinks to himself.

"I know this is a coffee shop, but do you guys have something other than coffee?" Finn asked before looking at Blaine. "Because, like, last time I had coffee it got me all jittery and stuff."

Blaine laughed a little. "Yeah, we've got smoothies, too."

Finn's face lit up. "Awesome!" For being such a big guy, he really had the attitude of a child at times. It was endearing, though. "Strawberry?" he asked hopefully and Blaine nodded, jotting down the order and Finn's name before sliding the cup down to Maddie who took it from the counter giving Blaine a sly smile. He had to bite back the urge to roll his eyes at her because he knew _exactly_ what she was thinking. God, he felt like he was in middle school.

"So, what time are you off?" Kurt asked as he handed Blaine his card. "Because I've got plans."

"Plans?" Blaine asked with a little smile as he swiped the card and handed it back to Kurt with a receipt. "And what do these plans consist of?"

"Secrets," Kurt said with a grin, sliding the card back into his wallet. "You never answered my question."

Blaine's smile never fell. "Four-Thirty," he answered.

Kurt clapped his hands together once. "Perfect," he said. "Be at my house and five o'clock." And before Blaine could answer, Kurt was gone.

* * *

><p>Kurt decided to keep these "plans" of his a secret even when Blaine was climbing into Kurt's car. He offered to drive because he refused to reveal where they were going until they actually got there. Blaine decided not to prod and simply go along with what Kurt was doing because, honestly, it was really, really cute and sweet.<p>

"You know, I was shocked when I first saw you drove a Navigator," Blaine admitted after a few minutes of silence.

Kurt glanced over at him for a moment before laughing. "Well, my dad was the one who got it for me. He, uh, promised me a car if I promised to stop wearing sweaters that went down to my knees."

This piece of information was more shocking than the fact that Kurt drove an SUV. Blaine blinked, turning his head to look at Kurt. "Really?" he asked softly.

"Well, this was before I came out to him. He was in denial for a long time which was probably one of the reasons why I was so afraid to come out of the closet, even though it was obvious to everyone that knew me I was gay."

"He's come a very long way since then, it seems," Blaine pointed out. "Your dad is a wonderful man, Kurt."

Kurt nodded in slight with a gentle smile. A silence fell between them again for a few short moments before Kurt pulled out his iPhone and handed it over to Blaine, telling him he could pick whatever music he wanted. The rest of the ride was spent belting out show tunes from Wicked, Rent and My Fair Lady.

* * *

><p>"I know Christmas was yesterday, but the Christmas spirit hasn't died down just yet," Kurt said as he lead Blaine along a sidewalk lined with little boutiques that formed in the shape of a U and in the middle was a very large courtyard. Settled at the end of that courtyard was a very, very large Christmas tree that Blaine guessed was about three stories high. Beside it, there were two smaller ones. Scattered throughout the courtyard were families and couples, most of them seated in on the ground, bundled up in their scarves, hats and jackets to keep away the night's cool air. Kurt gave Blaine's arm a little tug, "Come on, I see an open spot over there." Blaine followed Kurt, weaving through the little groups of people and finally settling beside a small family.<p>

Blaine was still a little confused as to what was going on and he couldn't help himself from asking now. "So," he said, taking a seat beside Kurt and drawing his knees up to his chest, "is it like a firework show?"

Kurt just grinned. "You'll see," he said. "My parents and I used to come here every year when I was little. It was my favorite thing about the holidays."

"Why did you stop?" Blaine asked softly only to receive a little shrug from Kurt.

"I'm not sure. After my mom died we just kind of stopped doing a lot of the things we used to do when she was around." Blaine watched as Kurt drew his knees up, mirroring Blaine's position. "I think maybe some of it was just too much for my dad." Kurt rested his chin on his knees as he raised his eyes to look at the large tree that was twinkling slightly.

Blaine's stomach dropped at the sound of Kurt's voice. With a comforting little smile, Blaine reached out, lightly rubbing Kurt's back. Like the other night, Blaine felt Kurt nearly tense beneath his touch. Eyebrows drew together for a moment, as he tilted his head. "Kurt?" he asked softly. Before Kurt could say a word, though, a voice was booming out of the speakers that were placed around the courtyard. He didn't miss Kurt shifting uncomfortably, though. Blaine dropped his hand from Kurt's back, to wrap back around his own legs, eyes still on the younger boy, watching him in silence as the voice spoke.

"Let your imagination soar, as you enjoy this one of a kind experience of light and sound. Symphony in Lights is about to begin in five…four…three…" The lights dimmed as darkness surrounded the area and Blaine could no longer see Kurt's face. "two…one…"

And then, music was filling the courtyard, a song which Blaine recognized to be Trans Siberian Orchestra's 'Christmas Eve.' The display of lights on the trees dimmed and lit up in time with the music in an incredible display as the music pulsed loudly thought the speakers and flowed over the crowd. For a few minutes, Blaine was mesmerized, watching with bright eyes and a small smile. Once the first song ended and the next one began, Blaine turned his head a little to look at Kurt who was still watching, a little smile on his face. The glowing lights were casting shadows on his face that he make him look…kind of beautiful. Suddenly, there were butterflies gathering in Blaine's stomach. And then, he noticed that Kurt was crying and Blaine's heart sank deep within his chest. His hand twitched. He wanted to place a comforting hand on that back, but remembered the tension he felt. Like Kurt wanted to flinch away. Like he didn't want to be touched. Tearing his gaze away from Kurt, Blaine continued watching the show, mind wandering. He figured Kurt's reason for crying was his mother and he suddenly wondered if the last time he had been here had been with her. And then he started thinking about Kurt's reaction to Blaine's touch. This was new and unexpected. Blaine always gave Kurt little pants on the knee and gentle shoulder bumps and it never seemed to bother him. But, when Blaine touched his back, he suddenly seemed uncomfortable. Or maybe Blaine was just imagining things. Kurt had no reason to feel that way around Blaine. Blaine was his friend and Blaine was here to help him. So, why was Kurt acting so strange?

"Kurt?"

Blaine found himself sitting on the edge of Kurt's bed, watching the younger boy who was rubbing some kind of product into his face, sitting in front of his mirror. Kurt sighed. "If you're going to ask why I have to do this every night and morning again, I swear I will kick you out of my room."

Blaine stifled a laugh. "Ah, no. No. I wasn't going to ask that. You made your point very clear last time." Blaine paused. "Um." And then he raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck for a moment. He should just get straight to the point, shouldn't he? "Has Karofsky been hurting you?"

It was something Blaine had considered on the drive home. Kurt didn't mind when Blaine touched his knee, hand or arm. But, the moment Blaine touched his back, he seemed to go uncomfortably stiff for a moment. Blaine had been in Kurt's position so he knew what it was like to be pushed around. And he knew that these bullies loved shoving other kids into lockers and fences. Hell, Karofsky had done it to Blaine the one time he had visited McKinley.

Kurt froze almost instantly, eyes locking on Blaine through the mirror. That lightly shocked look on his face didn't last very long though, as he continued rubbing the product into his forehead. "He pushes me around, you know this." Kurt huffed, sounding a little irritated. "Blaine, why are you even asking me this? You know the answer."

"Your back is covered in bruises, isn't it?" Blaine asked carefully.

Again, Kurt was staring at him. This time, it lasted longer. And this time, he didn't go back to what he was doing. Instead, he turned in his seat to look at Blaine properly. "How…How did you know?" he nearly whispered in a voice that shattered Blaine's heart. Kurt's voice was broken and so vulnerable. Terrified. As if some big secret had been let out.

"I went through the same thing, remember?" Blaine looked directly into those eyes. "Can I see them?" he asked.

Kurt immediately pulled back a little as if Blaine was going to pounce on him and force Kurt to show him. "No." The word was firm though Kurt's voice quivered.

"Kurt…"Blaine's voice was quiet.

"Please, Blaine. Just…Don't, okay?" Kurt turned in his seat, staring down at the products scattered about his small dresser. "I'd prefer to be alone right now," he added softly.

Blaine just stared for a few moments, hoping Kurt would change his mind. Maybe decide to _talk_ about this. But Kurt didn't move. He remained frozen in place. And even as Blaine stood and walked out the door, Kurt didn't move. As Blaine shut the door behind him, Kurt didn't move.

That night, Blaine spent hours lying awake in the guest bed provided for him simply staring into the darkness. Kurt's back was bruised and he was ashamed to admit it.


	7. Speak

**So, I decided on going with Kurt's POV for this chapter again. Also, half way through, it eases back into Blaine's because I thought it would work better from his for that particular scene. I hope it isn't confusing or annoying D: And if it is, sorry! Anyway, happy reading to you all!**

**I do not own Glee.**

* * *

><p>Kurt was freaking the hell out. Blaine had managed to figure out that he had these <em>vile, disgusting <em>bruises scattered across his back without Kurt even saying a word about it. In fact, they hadn't even talked about Karofsky for _days_ and suddenly, that night after the light show Blaine brought it up. Just out of no where. For a moment, Kurt almost gave in. He panicked and let his guard down asking Blaine how he knew. That only lasted for a few seconds because then, Kurt was just overwhelmed by this feeling of worthlessness. Of disappointment in himself for hiding something like this from Blaine, the one person in his life who would understand what Kurt was feeling. He had immediately put a barrier between himself and Blaine and ended up kicking him out of his room. It was cold and mean and it was something Kurt definitely regretted. Especially when he would have to face Blaine this morning.

Kurt sat in front of his vanity mirror, staring at his own reflection. His hair was pushed back with a sweat band and his eyes were a little bloodshot from the lack of sleep last night. It had taken Kurt _hours_ to fall asleep after Blaine left his room. He just lay in the darkness of his bedroom on his side simply staring at the wall with this struggle pulling and tugging away at his brain. He wanted to apologize. Go after Blaine and just tell him he was _sorry_. But for some reason, Kurt felt more ashamed than ever now. More than he had been before. Which, he wasn't even sure why he had been ashamed to begin with. Maybe it was the idea that he was letting himself be pushed around by the _last_ person at McKinley that should have been pushing him around. Karofsky had kissed him, hadn't he? So, that meant that he had _feelings_ for Kurt. That thought alone made Kurt sick to his stomach. Simply knowing that the boy who had caused him so much pain and suffering was actually attracted to him in some strange, violent way. Kurt hated the way his back looked. It was so ugly and battered and it made him look like some kid living in an abusive home which was the exact opposite of his situation. Kurt came from a very loving, caring home. He couldn't stand knowing that he was bring that _hate_ from school home with him with these bruises tainting his back.

With a deep breath, Kurt wiped at his face with a small towel and dropping it onto the dresser before he pulled off the sweatband and stood, moving around his bed, tugging his loose fitting t-shirt on as he began rummaging through his closet for something to wear. He settled on a plain black t-shirt with a blue cardigan and black skinnies. He didn't even bother with shoes for now considering he wasn't going out anytime soon. Kurt suddenly realized that he had gotten _dressed_ just to go downstairs all because Blaine was down there. He wanted to look nice for Blaine. Kurt's heart sank as he began thinking about the older boy again. That look that painted his features last night right before he left Kurt's room. He looked so incredibly hurt and confused. Like he was trying so hard to figure Kurt out. Get into his mind and search for the answers Kurt refused to give him. He had been civil about it. He had been kind, like always, and left Kurt's room without a fight because he _respected_ Kurt. But, Kurt didn't seem to be doing the same for Blaine and that made his heart weigh down deep in his chest with nothing but guilt.

Pulling on a pair of socks (these past few days had been ridiculously cold and because of that, the tile in the kitchen was always freezing) Kurt silently slipped out of his room and quietly made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen to find it empty. It was the middle of the week so that meant that Carole and his dad had probably already gone off to work-Kurt glanced at the clock on microwave that read ten o'clock and, yep, they were definitely gone by now. Finn was probably still asleep and Kurt had no idea if Blaine had work today or if he was even awake. Pulling the fridge door open, Kurt pulled out the carton of orange juice and as he closed the door and turned, he found Blaine standing at the entrance to the kitchen making Kurt jump a little as a hand flew up to his chest. He let out a small huff of air before moving to the counter to set the carton down and pull out a glass. "You scared me," Kurt breathed as he uncapped the juice and began pouring it into his glass as Blaine apologized softly. Then Kurt spoke again, "Would you like some juice?" he asked over his shoulder to which Blaine nodded with a gentle smile. Were they going to even mention what happened last night? Or leave it as the giant elephant in the room? That would make for very uncomfortable and awkward situations with Blaine. He had never felt this tense around Blaine and he absolutely _hated_ it.

Grabbing a glass for Blaine, Kurt filled it with the juice before putting the carton away and handing the older boy his glass to receive a little "Thanks" in response. Kurt nodded a little before taking a little sip from his cup. They stood in complete silence, avoiding each other's eyes for a minute or so before Blaine finally broke that silence with his careful, gentle words, "So, about last night…" he began and Kurt didn't look at him, just kept his eyes locked on the magnets scattered about the refrigerator's door. Despite that, Blaine continued to speak. "I'm sorry for prodding. I was a little out of line. I know it…isn't my place to try and force something like that out of you. I, of all people, should understand that. So…I'm sorry, Kurt." There was nothing but sincerity and honesty in Blaine's voice and Kurt didn't have to look at his face to believe that. He could _hear_ it.

Kurt wasn't sure how long they stood in silence. Blaine watching him and Kurt keeping his eyes anywhere but on Blaine. But eventually, he heard the boy speaking up again, gently calling Kurt's name, voice a little concerned. Finally, Kurt turned his face to look at Blaine who looked devastatingly worried. No one-besides his own father-had _ever_ looked at Kurt like that before and it made Kurt's heart jump. The concern that Blaine had for him was enough to nearly bring Kurt to tears because he couldn't believe that someone-after knowing Kurt for a little over a month-could feel so strongly about him. Look at him like this and just care _so much_.

"I've been wanting to tell you about it for weeks," Kurt said suddenly. His voice was frighteningly quiet. "But I just _couldn't_ bring himself to do it. I hate the way they make me look. It isn't _me._ I just keep hoping they'll fade away but he just keeps _shoving_ me into the walls and lockers and I get new bruises on the old ones- and it only makes it worse-and they're just taking _so long_ to heal-and I'm so ashamed when I look at them in the mirror because nobody, not even my dad knows about them. He doesn't know that Karofsky shoves me into the lockers almost every single day." His words came out in this desperate rush and Kurt couldn't stop himself. All of these thoughts that had been clogging his thoughts for so many weeks were finally being let out in this huge string of words and Kurt just _couldn't stop _because his emotions were running wild and he had been wanting to talk to someone about it but refused to do so. The way Blaine had been looking at him a minute before just brought everything out before Kurt could stop himself. "And it just breaks my heart," he said softly as he placed the glass on the counter behind him. He could feel his hands shaking a little and he knew if he didn't set that glass down he would end up dropping it. "It kills me just _knowing_ that my dad doesn't have a clue. He doesn't know half the stuff that goes in at McKinley because _I won't tell him._ I can't. He's been through so much this past year-and he's sick-" Kurt cut himself off with a shaky sigh. Blaine was just staring at him from across the small kitchen with that same _look_ that just killed Kurt. That made him want to tell Blaine all of his secrets. Open up to him and talk about all of his insecurities and tell him all about his past. It made Kurt trust this boy he had only known for a short while.

"I know it isn't fair," Blaine's voice was soft as he spoke. "But things will get better, Kurt."

"How do you know?" Kurt suddenly found himself asking, surprised at his slightly cold tone. It was just a _frustrating_ situation and it felt like it would take for ever to get better. His shoulders slumped a little, as he gave Blaine an apologetic look at his sudden snappy question. Blaine didn't seem to mind.

"Because it always does. For people like you. People like us. You will pull through it. You are one of the strongest people I know. Your confidence astounds me." As he said this, Blaine smiled a little, that hard, concerned look melting away. "Very soon, things will take a turn for the better." Blaine seemed so incredibly sure about this and for a moment, Kurt was completely convinced that what this boy was saying was absolutely true.

Setting his glass aside, Blaine crossed the kitchen and stepped up to Kurt, smiling up at him. He held out his arms a little. With a raise of his eyebrows, Blaine silently asked if he could hug Kurt. Was Blaine really asking permission to _hug _Kurt? That was totally unnecessary, but considering what happened last night, Kurt could understand why Blaine was so careful about this. Kurt nodded almost immediately and felt those arms pull around him to tug him into a tight embrace. Kurt's arms pulled loosely around Blaine's neck and they just stood there, holding one another for a few moments. And then, Blaine muttered against Kurt's shoulder. "Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself." And then he pulled away to look up to Kurt as he clarified. "Harvey S. Firestone." And then a grin. "Did you know that he was the founder of the Firestone Tire Company?" he asked, obviously hinting at the fact that Kurt's family owned a mechanic shop.

Kurt couldn't help but smile at this. "Yes, Blaine. I have been raised by a mechanic. Don't you think I would be somewhat educated on the history of tires?"

Blaine was still grinning (and holding on to Kurt, which was totally ok, too.) "That's right," he said with a little laugh. "I'm sorry. How _dare_ I?" Kurt gave Blaine a little shove, instantly missing the way the older boy's arms felt wrapped around his torso. He made no comment on it, though, only smiled softly as Blaine moved away to pick up his glass of orange juice and take a drink from it. Just like that, the subject had been pushed off to the side for the time being. Kurt had a sneaking suspicion that this wouldn't be the last time he and Blaine would talk about the bruises. He had a feeling Blaine would try asking more questions.

* * *

><p>It turned out that Blaine had to work that day he and Kurt spoke in the kitchen. He had a closing shift at work, which meant he would have been getting home past midnight. Kurt had offered Blaine his key so that he could get into the house without disturbing anyone. By the time the older boy had arrived home, Kurt had dozed off, so he didn't see Blaine until the following morning. Thankfully, Blaine didn't have work today, so that meant that Kurt had the older boy all to himself today and Kurt was very, very keen on that idea considering that, yes, he was pretty much in love with Blaine at this point and Kurt was happy to spend <em>any<em> time he could with Blaine.

It was early in the afternoon and Kurt found himself lying in his bed on his stomach, eyes on the screen of his television where The Sound of Music was playing. Beside him, Blaine was sitting, legs crossed Indian style, eyes trained on the screen. At least, that's what Kurt thought.

In reality, Blaine's eyes had wandered over to that back. Kurt didn't seem to notice, but his shirt was riding up in the slightest and Blaine could see one of those bruises Kurt had mentioned, though this one was already fading. It was low on his back, probably from the locks that jutted out from the lockers Karofsky pushed him into. Or maybe, Kurt had been pushed into some of the open metal doors, edges digging into his skin, leaving behind these painful looking marks. Blaine hated to admit that he knew that feeling all to well.

Before he could think about the repercussions or even stop himself, Blaine was reaching out to touch that back, where that sliver of skin was showing, revealing that little bruise that was probably a tiny _hint _to the others that covered Kurt's back. Fingers brushed over the Kurt's skin and Blaine could feel his stomach flip nervously as Kurt's head shot up from where it was resting over his neatly folded hands. Suddenly, the movie on the screen was forgotten by both boys as Kurt looked back at Blaine who, in turn, focused his eyes on Kurt. He didn't look angry, though. Just a little surprised at the sudden gentle touch and, really, Blaine couldn't blame him. It was out of the blue and totally unannounced. The tension that built up in Blaine when he saw Kurt lift his head melted away when he realized that Kurt didn't give him the same look had had last night before kicking Blaine out of his room. Now, he just looked a little nervous and Blaine could have sworn his cheeks were a little flushed.

Tearing his gaze away from Kurt's, Blaine's eyes lowered to that back, where he brushed his fingers over the bruise. "Can I?" he muttered quietly, eyes raising to meet Kurt's once more for confirmation. He just wanted to see how bad they were. He just wanted to make sure they weren't ugly and horrible as Kurt made them sound. When Kurt nodded (just barely), Blaine pushed the shirt up a little, examining the dark bruises that tainted Kurt's pale back. They looked so out of place and Blaine just wished he could just make them all go away by just touching them. Kurt's shirt was only pushed up half way up his back. There was no way Blaine was going to strip the boy because that would just be plain awkward. Brushing his fingers over the darkened marks, Blaine sighed. There weren't as many as Blaine expected, but there were _enough _to make Blaine frown, eyebrows pulling together. By this time, Kurt's face was buried in the crook of his elbow as if he was shamefully hiding his face from Blaine. "You don't have to be ashamed," Blaine was saying softly as he trailed his hand up the length of Kurt's back, stopping half way. There was something that was urging him to just lean down and kiss that back. Assure Kurt that everything was going to be fine and that these stupid bruises meant nothing. They didn't change him. They were just some temporary marks that would fade with time. But, Blaine couldn't bring himself to do that. He wanted to so bad, but was terrified to act on it. He and Kurt were _just friends._ And Blaine couldn't understand why he had this urge to kiss that skin in hopes of making it all go away. He just…really wanted to.

But he didn't.

He just kept his hand lightly resting over that warm skin. "They're not as bad as you think," Blaine muttered. "Really." Kurt looked back at him, eyebrows pulling together.

"Is that your way of trying to make me feel better?"

"I mean it, Kurt," Blaine said immediately, looking at Kurt seriously before glancing back down to tug at his shirt, pulling it down and giving the small of Kurt's back a gentle pat before he finally withdrew his hand to rest it on his own lap. Kurt's expression softened and Kurt smiled gently. "Don't worry too much about it, okay?" he assured Kurt before dropping down beside Kurt to lie on his stomach, head turned a little to look at his friend who didn't answer. Lowering his head a little, Blaine used it to nudge at Kurt's shoulder playfully. "Okay?" he asked again and Kurt laughed at the puppy dog like motion, nudging Blaine back with his own shoulder with a quiet, "Fine, whatever." though he smiled when he said this.

And soon enough, they were back to watching the movie, shoulders brushing every now and then and being so close to Kurt made Blaine's stomach fill with that familiar feeling of butterflies. That feeling he would always get the first few times he had seen Kurt. The first time Kurt had smiled at him. The first time Kurt laughed at his lame jokes. And throughout the movie, Blaine couldn't help himself as he kept thinking about that weird urge he had gotten earlier to kiss that skin. And he couldn't help but wonder what it would _feel_ like to kiss Kurt. At some point, Blaine caught himself blushing a little at these insane ideas swarming his mind and he _hated _it because he and Kurt were friends and Blaine didn't want to ruin that because he really, really cared about Kurt and his feelings and he didn't want to lose that special friendship he shared with the boy lying next to him. Blaine didn't think his heart to take that sort of pain if he messed this up.


	8. Changes

Blaine promised Kurt breakfast. The younger boy tried to refuse, but Blaine was having none of that. The previous night, right before Blaine retreated into the guest bedroom he told Kurt that he would make him breakfast the following morning to thank Kurt for having him over. Before Kurt had more of a chance to argue, Blaine was closing Kurt's bedroom door with a firm, yet kind, "Good night, Kurt."

Thankfully, Blaine was up before Kurt, which would work perfectly in his favor. He wouldn't have the younger boy bearing down on him, trying to take the frying pan or spatula from Blaine. Or some other very Kurt-like things. Very adorable Kurt-like things that Blaine loved. Finding an iPod dock on the window sill, Blaine grinned to himself, fetching his iPod and plugging it in. Thankfully, the Hudson-Hummel household was two stories so Blaine wouldn't be bothering anybody with his music. At least, that was his logic. Sorting through his play lists, Blaine selected his Mika folder, setting it to shuffle and setting it to play with a little smile.

Halfway through his cooking, one of the songs titled 'Blue Eyes' began playing and Blaine smiled softly to himself, Kurt immediately coming to mind. Blaine loved those pretty blue eyes and always found himself so incredibly mesmerized by them. He loved it when Kurt wore blue because the color from his top would always reflect on his eyes and make those amazing eyes sparkle so beautifully. And if he was outside on a clear day-oh, God. Why was Blaine thinking about this so much? He decided to focus on the song as the instrumental introduction eased into the lyrics and he began singing along softly.

_"Your heart is broken_  
><em>To your surprise<em>  
><em>You're sick of crying<em>  
><em>For blue eyes<em>  
><em>So tired of living<em>  
><em>Misunderstood<em>  
><em>Think hard woman<em>  
><em>I think you should."<em>

Blaine found himself dancing his way around the kitchen as he continued to sing a little louder for the next verse.

_"Come, sorrow is so peculiar_  
><em>It comes in a day, then it'll never leave you<em>  
><em>You take a pill, wonder if it'll fix you<em>  
><em>They wonder why sorrow has never left you."<em>

And he was getting into it now as he turned off the heat on the omelet he had been working on a minute ago, the final addition to the breakfast he was putting together for Kurt.

_"I'm talkin' 'bout blue eyes, blue eyes_  
><em>What's the matter, matter<em>  
><em>Blue eyes, blue eyes<em>  
><em>What's the matter, matter<em>  
><em>So blind, so blind<em>  
><em>What's the matter with you?"<em>

And then he was thinking about Kurt again, deciding that the chorus reminded him of his friend and those bruises he had seen last night. Those bruises he had wanted to kiss. Those eyes that had stared back at Blaine, confused, when the older boy was suddenly touching his battered back with this incredible gentleness. Blaine was singing and dancing, though his mind wasn't focused on the song, more on Kurt. And, suddenly, Kurt was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, watching Blaine, looking a little confused yet amused at the little show that Blaine was putting on. Blaine's new audience didn't stop him from going on with his singing. It only encouraged him as he grinned broadly at Kurt, easing into the lyrics, making sure he looked at Kurt when he sang about those blue eyes.

Kurt was giggling.

Blaine's heart was racing and stomach flipping.

As the chorus continued repeating, Blaine made his way towards Kurt, singing directly at him, yet indirectly asking that question of "What's the matter with you?" through the song's lyrics. Kurt's expression was soft as he watched Blaine, smile a little weak and sad looking.

As the song ended, Blaine smiled a little sheepishly, eyes lingering on Kurt's for a few moments before he finally tore his gaze away, the next song, 'Touches You' blasting through the speakers of the iPod dock. Blaine swallowed nervously before turning in the heel of his foot. Nice timing, stupid iPod. Moving over to the stove, Blaine picked up the frying pan, sliding the finished omelet onto the plate, finishing the little set up. A side of fresh cut fruit, toast and the omelet.

"I wasn't entirely sure if you'd like it…but it seemed pretty delicious to me." Blaine grinned as he picked up both plates and carried them over to the table, setting them down. Kurt was watching him from the same position. The boy bit down on his bottom lip as he shook his head a little.

"Blaine, you really didn't-"

"I know," Blaine interrupted with a broad grin. "Just like you 'really didn't have to' invite me over for Christmas. But you did. Now we're even." And then he pulled out a chair for Kurt. "Now eat. And enjoy."

Kurt slowly made his way towards the table, carefully taking a seat and examining the meal in silence. Blaine slowly took his seat, eyes on Kurt. With a little tilt of the head, Blaine's eyebrows pulled together. Oh, crap. Maybe Kurt didn't like omelet or something. He should have asked Kurt first. "What's the matter?" Blaine asked slowly, "You don't like it…?"

Kurt stayed silent for a few moments before shaking his head with a little smile. "I love it, Blaine. I just…" he laughed a little, "I'm not used to this. Usually, I'm the one doing the cooking."

Blaine gave a little grin. "Well, who's fault is that? I had to practically force you to let me do this. How many times has Carole tried cooking you breakfast or dinner?" Blaine asked with raised eyebrows.

Kurt didn't answer.

"That's right." Blaine grabbed Kurt's fork and placed it into the younger boy's hand. "Don't make me force feed you."

Kurt let out a small laugh before rolling his eyes and saying, "I will slap you if you try force feeding me, Blaine Warbler." to which Blaine chuckled.

* * *

><p>Blaine couldn't thank Kurt's family enough for allowing him to spend his winter break in their home. He almost felt the need to pay them for eating their food and using up the water and electricity. Kurt seemed to read his mind though, stopping Blaine from suggesting it before he even began to say anything. All Blaine could do was smile warmly in return.<p>

Blaine's parents returned from their trip when they had promised and he ended up spending New Years with them. The moment the clock struck midnight, Blaine felt his phone vibrate with a text message from Kurt. Immediately opening the message, Blaine found himself smiling softly at his screen,

_Happy New Year, Blaine Warbler ;) Hope you're having a wonderful time with your parents.  
>-K.<em>

And of course, Blaine had to respond.

_Thank you. Likewise :) Take it easy on the champagne. I don't want any late night drunk dials from one Kurt Hummel.  
>-B.<em>

A few minutes passed and there was a response from Kurt.

_I will be staying away from alcoholic beverages this evening, thank you very much. The last time I got drunk, I hurled all over the school guidance counselor. :(  
>-K.<em>

Blaine snorted in laughter as he sank into one of the plush couches within the living room of his parent's house. Around him, there were several adults, friends of his mother and father, holding glasses of red wine and champagne. Conversing amongst one another, laughing at all of these jokes Blaine never seemed to understand or find funny what so ever. Blaine was happy to see his parents again and spend time with them, but he hated spending his New Years at this party as the only person in the house under the age of thirty.

_Sounds like quite the scarring experience. Though, I would be lying if I said I didn't laugh ;) Sorry.  
>-B.<em>

It was almost as if Kurt was waiting intently by his phone for the text messages from Blaine because the responses came quick.

_Oh, it's ok. I guess it is kind of funny when I look back at it…Having fun at your party?  
>-K.<em>

Blaine nearly laughed at the question as his fingers quickly glided over the screen as he shifted a little on the couch, leaning his back on the arm rest and propped his leg up on the couch, the other dangling over the edge.

_It's not my party. It's my parents'. And no :( It's depressing and boring…I wish you were here.  
>-B.<em>

So, maybe that last sentence wasn't needed, but Blaine hit the 'send' button before he could go back and erase it. Then again, Blaine _did _mean it. Kurt replied almost immediately.

_Me too…  
>-K.<em>

The response was so simple, but Blaine's heart jumped when he read it as a little smile tugged at his lips. His fingers hovered over the screen about to type a reply when he felt a hand drop onto his shoulder. Blaine's head shot up to find one of his father's old friend smiling down at him.

"Little Blaine Anderson?" he said with a laugh. "My God! Has it really been that long?"

Blaine sat up immediately, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "Five years," he said with a polite smile as he stood and offered a handshake. "How are you?"

It wasn't until an hour later that Blaine had the opportunity to send Kurt a text message, apologizing.

_Sorry for the late reply! Was forced into mingling with my parents' friends. Fun, fun, fun. Gotta work tomorrow so, going to bed now.  
>-B.<em>

It took Kurt longer than usual to respond, but when the reply did come, Blaine's heart jumped and he smiled, finally settling back into his bed, changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

_I figured. Guess I might just have to visit you at work tomorrow if my busy schedule allows it :P Good night, Blaine Warbler 3  
>-K.<em>

The little heart. Oh, God, the little heart. Blaine nearly dropped his phone and he felt like some ridiculous little school girl with a crush, grinning like a fool at his phone, just staring at Kurt's message. This was definitely one of those messages he would save and keep for a very, very long time.

* * *

><p>When school started up again, Blaine had to admit to himself that he really, really missed being able to spend so much time with Kurt. He had gotten so attached to the younger boy in such a short amount of time and it was a little frightening yet very nice at the same time. Blaine wasn't sure if he had ever let himself get so close to someone so quickly. But, Kurt was a kind person and he had this amazing aura that just drew Blaine to him like a bee to honey. Kurt was the honey. Definitely the honey.<p>

It was Friday and Blaine hadn't heard from Kurt since Wednesday. Usually, he would get a text from Kurt at least once a day. Like a "Good morning" or "Oh God, Rachel is driving me nuts." But he heard absolutely nothing from Kurt and that worried Blaine a little. Maybe he was over thinking things, but with everything that had been happening with Kurt at school, could one blame him? He chalked it up to the fact that maybe Kurt was just extra busy with school and Glee club.

Hearing the little bell that hung above the door, Blaine turned his attention away from the drink he was currently preparing to glance at the door finding Kurt walking in, holding his messenger bag close and looking a little uncomfortable. Turning his eyes back down to the cup set before him, Blaine finished pouring in the milk before snapping on the lid and handing it off to the customer with a bright smile and a "Thank you." That smile quickly faded though as he leaned over the counter, watching as Kurt approached him. "Hey you," Blaine said. "What's up?"

Despite Kurt's body language, he smiled at Blaine before he spoke. "We need to talk," he said.

Blinking with a little tilt of the head, Blaine nodded a little. "Uh, yeah sure. I'll be on my break in a few minutes. Would you like something to drink?" he asked, to which Kurt nodded with a soft, "Thanks." Blaine gave his hand a little pat before waving him off. "Go ahead and sit down. I'll bring it to you." And without a word, Kurt turned and walked over to his usual table, setting his bag upon it and sinking into his seat. Blaine quickly prepared Kurt's drink before tugging off his apron and tossing it into one of the storage cabinets. Making his way over to his friend, he gently set the drink down before taking a seat across from Kurt, eyes on the younger boy, "So, what's going on?" Blaine asked.

Reaching out, Kurt grabbed the cup and slid it closer to himself, though he didn't lift it to take a sip. "I had some questions…about Dalton."

Something in Blaine's stomach sank low and he wasn't sure if it was excitement at the fact that Kurt was considering transferring or concern that things had gotten so bad at McKinley that Kurt _had _to transfer out of the school. "Sure," Blaine said slowly, "What did you want to know?" As Blaine took a closer look at Kurt, he noticed something on his temple, a red mark. A scab? "Kurt, what happened to you?" Blaine asked suddenly, this immense feeling of worry washing over him. "Did…Did Karofsky do this to you?" His voice was low as Blaine said this, almost dangerous. Suddenly, there was this fire burning within Blaine with a desire to drive down to McKinley and beat the crap out of this stupid jock.

"Yeah," Kurt's answer was quick and soft. "He apologized but…" Kurt shook his head with a sigh before speaking up again. "I was on the staircase and he purposefully bumped into me and I fell. My head slammed against the edge of the handrail. When he realized what had happened he tried helping me up but I just told him to get the hell away from me," Kurt was muttering softly, eyes on Blaine.

"When did this happen?" Blaine asked slowly.

"Yesterday. When I got home and my dad saw it he decided that that was the final straw. He doesn't want me going back to McKinley on Monday…_I'm _scared to go back. I mean, Karofsky apologized and everything, but that doesn't change anything. I don't get what's going on in that kid's head. He doesn't make _any _sense…"

"Kurt I…I'm so sorry," Blaine muttered to which Kurt shook his head a little.

"It doesn't really matter anymore. I'm not going back to that school…" Though there was a little edge of sadness to Kurt's voice.

"You're going to miss them, aren't you?" Blaine found himself asking suddenly. "Your friends in New Directions."

"Of course," he muttered. "I could barely look at their faces this afternoon when I told them I was leaving and that today was my last day. I planned on staying for rehearsal but I _couldn't _bring myself to stay in that room with all of them. It killed me having to say goodbye. And the look on Mercedes' face… " Kurt trailed off with a huff before dropping his face into his hands.

All Blaine could do was watch in silence, eyebrows pulled together as he frowned a little. He wasn't sure how to respond and he didn't want to pat Kurt on the shoulder and tell him it was going to be okay, because he knew that wasn't the truth. Everything _wasn't _going to be totally fine. Yes, Kurt was finally getting away from the poisonous environment at McKinley, but at the same time, he was leaving all of his friends and Blaine understood that it was a painful decision to make. Removing his cap, Blaine smoothed his hair down, curls probably sticking in every direction because of the stupid hat. He hated the damn thing, but it was part of his uniform.

When Kurt finally looked up, Blaine offered him a warm smile. There wasn't much else Blaine could offer Kurt in this situation but the silent comfort in knowing that he would have a friend at Dalton. Blaine was more than willing to help Kurt through this transfer. Change wasn't an easy thing, Blaine knew that. But this was for the better. Things were beginning to spin out of control at McKinley and Kurt didn't need that kind of stress weighing him down. He was a good person and he didn't deserve this treatment and this hate.

"So, what do you need to know?"


	9. Starting To Heal

"Is that everything?"

Burt stood at the doorway to Kurt's new dorm room, removing his cap to wipe at his forehead with the back of his hand before placing it back on his head. Blaine carefully set down the final box filled with Kurt's belongings in the corner of his room before standing up and stretching out a bit. His eyes found Kurt as the younger boy nodded a bit.

"Yeah, I think so," he said as he glanced around the room.

This past weekend had been absolutely exhausting, but Blaine did his best to help out the Hudson-Hummels in Kurt's transfer to Dalton. It was all very last minute and rushed and Blaine did his best to help out in the packing and moving when he wasn't at work. Kurt's time had been limited, so he only packed the essentials like clothing, school supplies, toiletries and a few personal things like his computer, television and picture frames.

Burt stepped back into the room, moving over to his son and smiling down at him. Raising a hand, he placed it on Kurt's shoulder. "I'm gonna miss you, kid," he muttered and before he could say anything else, Kurt was pulling him into a tight hug as he muttered a, "I'll miss you too, dad…I love you."

"I love you too, Kurt." And then he pulled away, holding his son at arms length and smiling down at Kurt. "You take care of yourself, alright?" he said, pointing down at Kurt's face bringing a little watery laugh from Kurt before he sniffed and nodded. Stepping back from Kurt he looked across the room at Blaine with a smile and a wave before leaving and shutting the door behind him to which Kurt sighed softly before sitting down on the edge of the empty bed.

Kurt looked around before laughing softly. "This room looks so depressing," he said.

Blaine smiled gently before crossing over to the bed and sitting down next to Kurt. "That's why you need to decorate it," he said as he kept his eyes on Kurt who was looking up at the walls. "Give it your own touch. I promise, it'll feel like home in no time." And then a little pat to the knee before Blaine stood. "What do you say we grab a bite to eat? I'm starving."

"Where do you want these?" Blaine asked as he held up a few of the picture frames that Kurt had neatly packed away into a box.

Kurt, who was sitting Indian style in the middle of his bed folding his clothes, looked up before pointing over to the bookshelf. "Just put them over there. Top shelf." Then he returned his attention to folding the clothes as Blaine moved over to the shelf and began setting the frames down. In one of them, Kurt was standing with a group of kids who looked to be his age. He recognized Puck and Finn but none of the others. Blaine could only guess…

"Are these your friends from the New Directions?" Blaine asked. He had seen them during sectionals, but hardly remembered their faces. Blaine had mostly been watching Kurt that afternoon and he was far too preoccupied with freaking out about the competition to really memorize the faces of his opposing team.

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, that's them."

Blaine could hear the fondness in Kurt's voice. He knew the boy missed them terribly already. Looking up at Kurt, Blaine watched as the boy held out his hand, making a grabby motion for the frame. Blaine walked over to the bed and handed Kurt the picture frame as the younger boy scooted over a bit to give Blaine some space to sit. He watched as Kurt pointed to one of the girls, the one in the middle with dark brown hair, a brilliant smile and sparkling eyes. "This is Rachel Berry," he said, "her wardrobe is atrocious and no matter how many times I've suggested it, she won't let me give her a make over." He paused, bringing a finger to his chin as he looked up thoughtfully. "Actually, scratch that. She did let me give her a make over, but that was a joke. I was kind of trying to sabotage her because she wanted to impress Finn. I may or may not have made her look like a French whore."

Blaine snorted out in laughter. "What? Oh God, Kurt, that's horrible." But hilarious.

"I beg to differ," Kurt said with a sly grin. "It was rather amusing. Needless to say, that didn't last very long and she was back to her old ways when she found out her new look wasn't doing much for Finn." He moved on to the next person in the picture. Another brunette in a cheer leading uniform who was very beautiful. "Santana," he said, "she's kind of a bitch but if you're on her good side, she will do everything in her power to defend you. Even beat the crap out of someone." Kurt moved on to the next girl in a cheer leading uniform, one of the two blondes. "Brittany. She's not the brightest crayon in the box, but she can _dance._ She and Mike Chang," he pointed to a lanky Asian boy, "are our best dancers. And of course there's Quinn," he said, "she used to be Finn's girlfriend last year. There was so much baby-daddy drama between her, Finn and Puck-"

"Wait, wait. She was pregnant?" Blaine asked suddenly, staring at the picture. She looked like such a wholesome, good girl. Then again, Blaine supposed it could happen to anybody.

"Yeah. And the best part of it all is that she was the president of the celibacy club." Kurt shrugged. "Go figure." And then he moved on to the next person. "Artie," he said, "we don't talk much, but he's a really nice guy. One of our best singers, actually. He loves hip hop and is almost always the one who raps for our hip hop songs." He then pointed to the next girl. "Tina," he said, "She's an amazing dancer too. She used to fake a stutter because she felt insecure." And then he moved on to a blonde boy, "Sam." Kurt smiled. "Ever since he joined New Directions, he's never treated me differently for being gay. Or made a comment on it like some of the other kids used to at the beginning. I wanted to sing a duet when him when he first joined and he agreed to do it even though Finn thought it was a bad idea…since I was gay." Kurt shrugged a little before moving on to the last girl. "And of course, we can't forget Mercedes," he said, "The only person I have met that is just as fabulous as I am. She's such a diva and I love her for it." Kurt sighed before looking up at Blaine. "So, there you have it. The New Directions."

Blaine smiled at Kurt before taking the picture frame into his hands. "Everyone is sodifferent and different in your Glee club, Kurt." He laughed a little, "It's nothing like The Warblers. When we have new people, sometimes we end up confusing them. Then again, it doesn't really help when we're all dressed the same."

The New Directions were very, very different from The Warblers from what Blaine had gathered and Blaine was a little worried that Kurt would have a bit of trouble adjusting to their Glee club because of that. Kurt was smart, though. He seemed to be a quick learner, so Blaine didn't want to worry too much about that. He was sure Kurt would fit in in no time.

Moving off of the bed, Blaine placed the picture frame back in its place before dropping down to his knees again to continue going through the box of Kurt's personal little trinkets and decorations, asking where he wanted each thing. Once he was through with that box, Blaine offered to help Kurt start putting his clothes away into the closet and dresser, hanging everything up carefully, afraid if he wrinkled anything, Kurt would scold him for it and forbid him from touching his clothes again.

"Thanks for helping me," Kurt said as he slid off of the bed and began packing some of the folded clothing into the drawers in the dresser.

Blaine glanced over his shoulder to look at Kurt for a moment before grabbing some more of the clothes neatly stacked on the bed. "It's no problem, Kurt, really. It's the least I can do."

Kurt flashed Blaine a little smile before he spoke again. "The Warblers," he began.

Blaine grinned knowingly. It was only a matter of time before Kurt asked about Dalton's Glee club.

"Is there any special initiation I need to go through to join? Or do I get accepted automatically because I'm good friends with its lead soloist?" Kurt raised his eyebrows with that little smirk of his. The one that kind of made Blaine's stomach do a funny little flip.

"Just like any other Glee club," Blaine said, keeping his cool even though his insides were going crazy, "You have to audition."

"Perfect," Kurt said happily. "Where can I sign up?"

* * *

><p>Thad, Wes and David didn't know Kurt personally. They knew that he was Blaine's friend and that he was in The New Directions. Naturally, they were a bit skeptical when they found out that Blaine and Kurt were becoming close friends, but once Blaine explained the trouble Kurt was having with bullies at school, they immediately understood and refrained from giving Blaine disapproving little looks when he mentioned hanging out with Kurt. Blaine always made sure he made it very clear that he and Kurt never discussed any Glee related things.<p>

They welcomed Kurt to Dalton with open arms, seeing so much of Blaine in the boy. They seemed to have a little bit of a soft spot for Kurt and that alone made Blaine very, very happy. When Blaine mentioned Kurt wanting to join their Glee club, they were more than willing to open up a spot for an audition. Kurt had eagerly chosen a song for his audition Monday afternoon after class and asked Blaine what he thought of his selection; Celine Dion's "Because of You." Blaine laughed a little with a nod saying, "Sounds good."

This was the first time Blaine had _ever_ heard Kurt sing, actually. And he didn't expect to be so blown away by the sheer elegance in which Kurt delivered the song. His voice was smooth and so very clear and hit notes that Blaine could never imagine reaching himself. His delivery, though, was dramatic. Something that The Warblers weren't used to and Blaine could see it in their faces as they watched Kurt. Some of the boys were absolutely awestruck by Kurt's singing while others were a little taken aback by the dramatic and unnecessary hand gestures. As Kurt sang, Blaine couldn't help but notice how those eyes seemed to find their way to Blaine every now and then. Blaine shifted a little in his seat, heart racing, an encouraging smile on his lips.

There was no debate on Kurt's acceptance. With a smile and a nod of the head, Wes spoke up, "Welcome to The Warblers, Kurt Hummel." to which Kurt practically squealed and thanked him before taking his seat on the couch beside Blaine who have him a little pat on the shoulder before leaning in to whisper a "Congratulations" as Wes began to speak about narrowing down their final selections for their regionals set list.

It seemed as if Kurt had a bit of trouble understanding how The Warblers worked. The environment at Dalton was different than the one at McKinley. Everything was much more controlled and screaming out ideas wasn't the way to get them noticed. Kurt tossed several of them at the council, but they kindly shot him down. Blaine nearly winced as he watched Kurt sink back into his seat. He didn't say a word for the rest of rehearsal. Before Blaine could even get a word in once Glee club ended, Kurt was gathering his bag and walking out. A little frown crossed Blaine's face as he watched Kurt disappear through the door and then he turned his attention to one of the other boys who was asking him a question about one of the classes they shared.

Walking out of the room, Blaine tugged his cell phone out of his pocket and immediately opened a new text message to Kurt and began typing as he slowly walked along the halls. Classes had ended over an hour ago so most students had either gone home or back to their dorm rooms.

_Sorry about Wes. He can get kind of bossy when he's sitting at the council's table. He didn't mean to offend you. Are you alright?_

_-B._

It took a few minutes, but Blaine finally received a response from Kurt as he entered the dining hall and sat down at one of the empty tables, looking down at his phone.

_I'm fine. Don't worry about it._

_-K._

Blaine sighed softly. Even though it was through a text message and Blaine couldn't see or hear Kurt, he knew he was a little upset.

_Join me for a late lunch?_

_-B._

It was worth a try. Having your ideas turned down wasn't easy and Blaine knew how snippy the council could get. Usually, they were the ones who made the decisions and they only _considered_ everyone else's suggestions.

_I'll be there soon._

_-K._

He almost sighed in relief. At least Kurt wasn't so upset that he didn't even want to see Blaine. Maybe he was just really missing his friends and seeing the difference between The Warblers and New Directions made it clear and final to him that he was no longer a part of the New Directions and he was no longer a student at McKinley.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Kurt said as he dropped his bag on the chair beside Blaine. The older boy looked up from the game he was playing on his iPhone to smile at Kurt.<p>

"Hey, you made it. I was beginning to think I'd been stood up." Blaine winked and that, at least, got a smile out of Kurt.

"I'm classy," said Kurt, sticking his chin up a little and looking down at Blaine through his eyelashes. "And people with class don't stand their dates up."

Blaine grinned as he stood and slipped his phone into his blazer pocket. "Well, then, it's good to know that I can always count on you." And then he offered his arm for Kurt to take. "And now, we dine," he said with a light British accent that had Kurt giggling as he hooked his arm through Blaine's and they made their way over to the food.

Back at their table, both boys began to eat with a comfortable silence settled between them. After a few minutes, though, Blaine decided to break it. "I know it might take a little getting used to," he said, tearing a piece off the dinner roll on his plate and popping it into his mouth. "The Warblers are very different from your Glee club."

"Yeah, I noticed," Kurt muttered before taking a sip of his water. "The choir room at McKinley is a chaotic mess half of the time. Usually, Rachel is trying to take control while Santana or Quinn snaps at her for it. Then, sometimes Finn defends Rachel or Quinn depending on how he's feeling that week. And then Mr. Schuester has to step in to calm them down while I try to suggest something from the back of the room only to get ignored until I have to practically yell at them."

"Mm, yeah. There isn't much yelling during our rehearsals," Blaine pointed out as he chewed on a piece of chicken.

"I have to admit, it's kind of eerie how quiet and respectful everyone is." The look of sheer amazement on Kurt's face was enough to get a chuckle out of Blaine as he continued working away at his food.

A short silence settled between them before Blaine decided to speak up again. "You were really good today," Blaine said before glancing up at Kurt who froze for a moment to stare at Blaine who laughed a little nervously at the slightly wide eyed stare Kurt gave him. "Like, really good," Blaine added. "I've never actually heard you sing before_._" What Blaine heard when Kurt sang along to music in the car didn't really count considering Kurt's voice was overshadowed by the radio. He watched as Kurt bowed his head a little to pick at his food.

"Thank you," Kurt finally said after a short pause. He seemed a little uneasy. Maybe even shy, which was very un-Kurt like. But, he seemed to gain that little spark back when he spoke again. "At least somebody appreciates my talent."

Later that night, Blaine found himself in his room on his bed. He was sitting with his back against the headboard, his keyboard sitting on his lap. Across the room, Kurt was sitting at Blaine's desk, browsing the internet as Blaine played a few notes on the piano.

"Surprised to see you play the piano," Kurt muttered, eyes on the computer screen.

Blaine looked up to examine the back of Kurt's head before he laughed a little and continued playing. "Oh, thanks. Do I seem _that_ musically challenged?"

"No. I just didn't think you could get any more perfe-" Kurt quickly stopped as Blaine's head snapped up. Kurt looked back at him for a moment before shaking his head. "Never mind. Um. How long have you been playing?" he asked quickly.

Blaine could feel a blush creeping up his neck and slowly reaching his cheeks as he lowered his head, focusing his eyes on the keys as his fingers lightly played at them. "Since I was about seven. I didn't want to, but my parents made me go to piano lessons. They practically had to force me. After a few months though, I ended up loving it and looked forward to it every Friday. Needless to say, I'm glad they forced me."

Kurt laughed. "Really? I had to _beg_ my dad. He kept asking me if I would rather play football or soccer but I refused."

Blaine grinned. "And that's the difference between your parents and mine." He looked up at Kurt who was smiling at him as he stood and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge. Looking down, Blaine let his hands glide easily over the keyboard as he began playing "Poker Face." As soon as Kurt recognized the song, he grinned at Blaine as he began singing.

_"Can't read my, can't read my_

_No he can't read my poker face_

_She's got to love nobody."_

And then Blaine took the next part, repeating the lyrics back to Kurt,

_"Can't read my, can't read my_

_No, he can't read my poker face_

_She's got to love nobody."_

And then, Kurt joined in.

_"P-P-P-Poker Face_

_P-P-P-Poker Face_

_P-P-P-Poker Face…"_

Blaine let Kurt take the next verse with a smile.

_"I wanna roll with him_

_A hot pair we will be_

_A little gambling is fun when you're with me"_

And Blaine picked up the next few lines.

_"Russian Roulette is not the same_

_Without a gun_

_And, baby, when it's love if isn't rough it isn't fun!"_

Blaine tossed his head back for a moment on the word "baby", voice growing strong for a moment. He also happened to miss the fact that Kurt was a little short of breath watching the older boy belting out the note.

"You're really good too," Kurt was suddenly saying making Blaine stop playing to look at Kurt. "I've got my work cut out for me if I want to score a solo."

Blaine smiled a little before idly poking at a few of the piano keys. Blaine always got compliments on his singing from The Warblers. For some reason, it felt _different_ hearing it from Kurt. For some reason, it nearly made Blaine blush and nearly babble like an idiot. For that reason, he dodged the compliment as his eyes moved up to Kurt's temple where he had been hurt when Karofsky pushed him. It seemed smaller. And then, he thought about the bruises. "How's your back?" Blaine asked as he turned the piano off and pushed it off of his lap, placing it on the ground.

"It's getting better. They started to fade through the winter break and the only run in I had with Karofsky when I went back to school was this one-" he pointed at his head, "which is the worst since I have no way of hiding it." Kurt sighed a little. "It's like fate's cruel way of slapping me across the face."

Blaine frowned a little. "It looks much better than it did on Friday," he said softly as he leaned in a little to get a better look. He seemed to lean in a little too close judging from the way Kurt seemed to lean back a little with a nervous little smile. Pulling back, Blaine spoke. "I'm glad your back is healing. Does it hurt?" he asked.

Kurt nodded a little. "Yeah. Sitting in class is the worst. Those wooden chairs are awful."

"And they always have been," Blaine said with a small sigh as he shifted a little to sit beside Kurt on the edge of the bed, head turned, keeping his eyes on Kurt as the younger boy lowered his head. "Now that you're out of that school and away from him those bruises will be gone in no time." Blaine bumped Kurt's shoulder playfully before his eyes drifted over to his computer screen as he caught what Kurt had been doing. "Oh God, shopping for _scarves_ online, Kurt, seriously?" Blaine laughed.

"_What_?" Kurt snapped. "The stores at the mall are very limited and they don't have certain _styles!_"

"They're _scarves, _Kurt. Scarves."

"Ohmygod, you just don't understand. Do not question my fashion motives." There was a dangerous little edge to his voice.

Blaine held his arms up in defense laughing. "Alright. Whatever you say."

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's been nearly 10 chapters and no fluff, but I promise there will be some soon! Hope you guys liked this chapter. I was a little iffy about it.<br>**


	10. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

The holiday rush was over and The Lima Bean returned to being the slow little coffee shop it used to be. It was a little boring, Blaine had to admit that. For that reason, the moment Kurt would walk to get his coffee, Blaine would turn into this excited puppy dog. He would grin from ear to ear and nearly bounce in place at the sight of Kurt. Maybe he was a bit _overly _excited, but damn it, he was bored! Every now and then he would manage to sneak his phone out and play some games, but it was really tough to get around his manager spotting him. The guy was strict and Blaine just _knew _if he was caught texting or playing with his iPhone he would get some kind of reprimand. Blaine Anderson did _not _do reprimands.

Kurt took a seat as he waited for Blaine to finish preparing his coffee. As the older boy did so, he found his eyes wandering over to Kurt whenever he had the opportunity. He studied Kurt's profile as the boy lowered his head a little reading through a book he had probably been assigned for one of his classes. Blaine held the pitcher of milk against the steam wand, barely paying attention to the hiss as the milk warmed up. His attention was suddenly focused on Kurt as he realized that, wow, he had a really nice profile and a really cute nose. And the way he reached up and brushed at a stray hair that fell over his forehead was really, really cute too. Suddenly Blaine remembered that, shityeah, he was steaming some milk. He snapped his attention back to the pitcher he held, quickly reaching up to turn the steam wand off and set the pitcher down as he peeked at the thermometer to see that, surprisingly even with his distraction, he had managed to keep the damn milk from burning. Wiping the excess milk from the wand he bit down on his lower lip.

Kurt had been a student at Dalton for almost a month now and he and Blaine had been spending _a lot_ of time with each other. Practically all of their free time, actually. So, of course, Blaine was teased about his friendship with Kurt. _A lot._ Wes was the absolute worst with those _knowing_ little looks he would shoot Blaine when Kurt wasn't paying attention. He would smirk at Blaine when they practiced a dance routine and Blaine would accidentally bump into Kurt. It made learning the choreography a lot harder knowing that those stupid eyes were _watching _Blaine waiting for him to mess up and run into Kurt, or accidentally brush his arm or something stupid like that.

Blaine found himself looking at Kurt a lot more often that usual. Sometimes, he felt like a _total_ creep because he would catch himself kind of _staring_ whenever Kurt wasn't looking. And then he would realize just what he was doing and how utterly creepy it was and quickly look away before Kurt could catch him. Actually, he can been caught a few times. Kurt's eyes would meet his for that absolutely dreadful, awkward moment before Blaine would tear his gaze away and pretend that he was looking out the window behind Kurt. Yup, out the window at the chairs sitting in the patio. They were _so _worth staring at, unlike Kurt's gorgeous face.

Said gorgeous face was looking at Blaine now as he called out Kurt's order. The boy shut the book and set it down on the table as he stood and made his way over to the counter with a little smile pulling at the corner of his lips. The cup sat on the counter, though Blaine still held it, watching Kurt. "I'm sorry, sir, but this coffee order is reserved for…" he trailed off, lifting the cup and peeking at the name he already knew was there, "A… 'Pretty Blue Eyes'." His eyes surveyed the area for a few moments before they fell on Kurt and he arched a brow. "I suppose you'll do," he said in a mock snooty tone as he leaned in a little closer. "You do seem to fit the bill." And then he pushed the cup over to Kurt with a gentle smile.

Kurt opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a voice nearby.

"Oh, _wow._"

Blaine tore his gaze away to find _Karofsky_ of all people just _standing_ there with one of his friends.

"What the hell are _you two_ doing here?" asked the tall boy as he looked between Blaine and Kurt.

There was a little something that sparked within Blaine. A little fire that was burning deep within him that Karofsky was feeding with his very fucking _presence._ Blaine remembered the bruises. The crying. The scab on Kurt's temple. They are all caused by _this_ boy.

"Um, I _work_ here," Blaine pointed out dryly. "And Kurt's just getting a coffee. The last time _I _checked, there was nothing wrong with that."

"Haven't seen you around school, Kurt," Karofsky pointed out, completely ignoring Blaine's words.

"That's because I _transferred._" Kurt's voice was sharp enough to cut right through Karofsky. And for a moment-just a split second-Blaine saw something flash across Karofsky's face. Was that-was that _guilt?_ Blaine's eyebrows pulled together, eyes never leaving Karofsky.

The boy next to Karofsky snorted in laughter as he muttered something to Karofsky that Blaine couldn't really hear and then they both laughed, looking at Kurt who shifted a little uncomfortably but kept that same hard expression on his face as he stared at the boys.

"Fuck this," Karofsky said as he stepped back. "I'm getting out of here. There's so much fairy dust in the air I think I might catch the gay."

It took everything in Blaine's power not to respond, "It seems like you don't have to really worry about something like that considering that you already have the gay." But he didn't. Because Blaine wasn't about to out this closet case, no matter how much of a prick he was. Because if Blaine did that, he would be just as much of a prick as Karofsky was.

With a shake of the head, Karofsky turned and headed to the door, friend in tow. Blaine's eyes never left the pair until they disappeared around the corner. The moment he turned his attention back to Kurt, his expression immediately softened. Kurt was still looking in that direction and Blaine couldn't really see his face but he could see the tension in Kurt's shoulders. After a few moments, Blaine reached out to touch Kurt's arm with a soft, "Hey, you alright?" to which Kurt nodded before looking back at Blaine.

"Yeah." Kurt worried his lip between his teeth before nodding again and grabbing his coffee from the counter. Blaine watched as Kurt moved back to his table taking a seat and returning his attention to the book.

Kurt ended up spending the rest of Blaine's shift at that table, studying in silence. Normally when Kurt spent a significant amount of time at The Lima Bean he would wander over to Blaine and talk to him about something. _Anything_ actually. Even how his relationship with Finn was getting much better since they saw less of each other. But not today. He just sat in silence, reading, taking notes, listening to his music.

* * *

><p>"Everything's going to be fine, Kurt," Blaine was saying suddenly as they walked through the door that lead to their hall. Kurt looked at him, confused at the sudden subject change. Blaine gave him a little smile. "He's not going to hurt you ever again. I promise." And then, there was understanding in Kurt's face as Blaine continued to smile at him. "I won't let him hurt you," Blaine was suddenly muttering softly before he could stop himself. Blaine quickly realized how possessive that sounded and suddenly wanted to take it back.<p>

Kurt didn't seem to mind, though, as his smile grew a little before he turned to unlock the door to his room. He pushed the door open before turning to look back at Blaine. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Blaine…" And then he was moving into his room and shutting the door as Blaine offered a soft, "Good night," behind him.

Blaine wasn't sure why, but within the past few days there was something-something about Kurt that just made Blaine want to spend time with him. As much time as he could manage without scaring Kurt away or making the younger boy think he was being a creep. Blaine knew that Kurt liked him, he wasn't stupid. He wasn't sure what kind of relationship he and Kurt shared. They definitely weren't boyfriends but they seemed to be a little more than just friends. He also knew that they could get rather flirty at times and he never missed those _looks_ that Kurt would give him. Blaine couldn't really place a name on those looks, but they made his insides turn into complete jelly. They made him want to sit close to Kurt and they made him want to hold Kurt's hand. And for that very reason, Blaine had taken that little step forward one afternoon after a housing meeting. The entire school was packed into one large room in the main building so when it was time to go, and all of the students were shuffling out, Blaine found himself leading the way towards the exit. With a glance back at Kurt, he reached for the younger boy's hand and grabbed it, tugging Kurt towards him to keep him close. He felt Kurt's hand give him a gentle squeeze for a split moment and that brought a smile to Blaine's face as he used his free hand to adjust his bag on his shoulder. Blaine decided that he really, really liked holding Kurt's hand. He had never realized how incredibly soft his hands were and how perfectly Kurt's hand fit into his own. Blaine also decided that afternoon that, yeah, he would be holding Kurt's hand more often now.

And that he did. Blaine did it again the next day when he and Kurt were on their way to Glee rehearsal and were running late after meeting for a late lunch. They had miscalculated the time they had and managed to spend a little too much time chatting away about their day. Suddenly, Blaine checked his phone, jaw dropping as he swiftly stood, nearly knocking his chair back blurting out that they were late. It was when he and Kurt were running through the empty halls of Dalton that Blaine reached for Kurt's hand, giving it a tug and pulling him along to run faster.

That night, Blaine found himself in Kurt's room, lying on the floor on his stomach. His laptop was in front of him and text book next to it. Blaine's fingers were swiftly typing away at the keyboard, nothing but the sound of the clicking keys and the running water of Kurt in the shower. Soon enough, Kurt was coming out dressed in those dark blue silk pajamas that Blaine found so damn cute. Kurt was always fashionable, even when going to sleep. At least, from what Blaine saw. For all he knew, Kurt only wore pajamas like that when Blaine was around to look "presentable" even though Blaine wanted to convince Kurt that that was totally unnecessary. They were good friends. Kurt had no reason to impress Blaine. Actually, Kurt could do that without even _trying._

Looking up from the computer screen, Blaine smiled up at Kurt who's hair was still a little damp and messy from his shower and, damn, he looked absolutely _adorable_. Blaine laughed a little as he moved to a sitting position, shutting his laptop and keeping his eyes on Kurt. "You always wear this really nice looking clothes to bed and it makes me feel like I need to do the same when I'm around you." He looked down at himself. He was wearing a pair of black sweat pants, socks and a Dalton hoodie. "Like I'm underdressed." He heard Kurt laugh from where he was sitting on the bed and Blaine looked up at him with a little smile as Kurt shook his head.

"I think you look great," Kurt said with a little shrug. "Not many people can pull the 'just rolled out of bed' look, but you definitely do."

Was that a little blush creeping up the back of his neck? Blaine was pretty sure it was because Kurt was giving him that _look_ again. Eyes flickered down to the ground for a moment as Blaine decided to switch to another subject. One Blaine hadn't mentioned in a while. "How's your back?" he asked before raising his gaze to meet Kurt's. Unlike the other times Blaine had asked, Kurt didn't stiffen or become visibly uncomfortable. This time he just smiled softly.

"Amazing," Kurt said proudly. They're practically all gone.

"Really? That's great, Kurt," Blaine said genuinely because, really, he cared. So very much. Besides that run in with Karofsky at The Lima Bean the other day, everything seemed to be going fine for Kurt. Of course, he was having a little trouble with the workload at Dalton and he was still trying to find his place among The Warblers. However, Blaine knew that that stress was _nothing_ compared to the stress he was being put through at McKinley. This kind of stress didn't physically harm Kurt.

Blaine crawled onto the bed before sprawling out on his stomach with a heavy sigh, face buried into the sheets. They smelled like Kurt. He nuzzled his face into them for a moment before turning his head to look up at Kurt to find those blue eyes staring down at them. Blaine smiled almost sheepishly before muttering a quiet, "Hi." to which Kurt responded with an equally quiet, "Hi." And they just stared at each other for a few moments, little smiles on their faces until Blaine tore his gaze away, clearing his throat as Kurt shifted a little on the bed, brushing at his bangs the way he did when he felt nervous.

"So, uh," Blaine began slowly, "I wanted to ask you…there's this party…thing at David's house. His parents are away for the weekend. I was wondering if you'd want to come along. Well, I mean, if it's not your thing, that's totally cool. I know not everyone likes parties." There he went turning into an inarticulate idiot around Kurt.

"Actually, that sounds like fun," Kurt said softly.

"Really?" Blaine head perked up. "I mean. Awesome. Cool. Okay, I'll let David know you'll come."

"Great."

"Cool. Yeah, alright." Blaine grinned.

* * *

><p>David's house was <em>huge.<em> It was practically a mansion. The perfect place to throw a party. A lot of room, a lot of food and, yes, a lot of alcohol. Blaine wasn't sure how his friend had managed to get a hold of it, but he didn't ask questions. Now, Blaine wasn't the type to party hard and drink until he passed out. But, he liked to let loose every now and then. This was the third time Blaine had had a drink in his life and he _knew_ that if his parents found out he was drinking at a party they would rip him a new one. So, for that reason they didn't really need to _know._ Ah, the wonders of going to a boarding school and living on campus. It was like being on your own. Sometimes it sucked and other times, like tonight, it was really, really nice.

Blaine was on his second drink when he found himself plopping down next to Kurt on the couch. Blaine wasn't planning on getting totally smashed because he was the only person Kurt really _knew _here. Sure, he was acquainted with The Warblers, but they weren't really friends. The last thing Blaine wanted was for Kurt to feel uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to drink?" Blaine asked as he took a sip from his cup. "I'm sure we can get some other designated driver to take us back."

Kurt shook his head. "We had this conversation, Blaine. Last time I drank, I puked all over Miss. Pillsbury's shoes and nearly gave her an anxiety attack."

"Oh, right," Blaine muttered quietly. He lightly bumped his shoulder into Kurt's, leaning in close to mutter, "Just let me know if you change your mind, ok?"

Kurt didn't seem to mind the close proximity as he smiled, eyes on Blaine's. "I will," he mumbled in response before one of the boys sat on Kurt's other side.

"Seven minutes in heaven," he began before looking between Kurt and Blaine. "You guys wanna play?"

Kurt laughed a little. "Um, how old are we?"

Blaine snorted in laughter. "I think we're good," he said to which the boy shrugged and stood, walking away.

"Knowing my luck I'll be paired up with a girl anyway," Kurt muttered dryly.

Blaine grinned against the rim of his cup before taking a sip and speaking. "Hey, you don't know that. You might get lucky and get paired up with me." Oh God, did he really just say that? Maybe drinking at this party with Kurt around was a bad idea.

"Lucky, huh?" Kurt was saying as he looked around the mostly empty room. The majority of the party was in the other room where the music was pulsing through the speakers. Finally, he looked over at Blaine with a little smile.

"Yeah," Blaine said quickly before downing the rest of his drink and setting the cup aside as he stood and offered his hand to Kurt. "C'mon," he said with a gentle smile.

Kurt looked between Blaine's hand and his face, arching a brow. "Where are we going?"

"We're at a party," Blaine said as he reached down, grabbing Kurt's wrist and pulling him up. "So, we're dancing." He heard Kurt begin to complain, but Blaine ignored it as he tugged him into the next room that was significantly warmer due to the amount of dancing, sweaty bodies in it. Blaine could care less at this moment. He pulled Kurt into the crowd, tugging at his arm to bring him close, their bodies nearly touching. Blaine kind of hated the fact that he had to look _up _at Kurt, but like the nasty warmth in this room, Blaine ignored it as he began dancing.

He was reminded a lot of Kurt's dad's wedding. Except that day, Blaine hadn't been drinking. And that day, Blaine didn't want to get too close because he knew Kurt's dad was around. He didn't want to leave some bad impression on Burt Hummel and make him think that Kurt's new friend was this totally creepy gay kid trying to get into Kurt's pants. But right now, that was the least of Blaine's worries. Right now, he liked the way it felt to dance with Kurt. He liked the fact that he could be so close to Kurt and have a totally legitimate reason for it. He also loved the fact that Kurt seemed to be enjoying himself as he dropped his head into Blaine's shoulder with a little laugh. A laugh that sent a shiver through Blaine as Kurt's hair tickled at his cheek. Suddenly, Blaine felt himself wrapping an arm around Kurt's torso, pulling the younger boy's body flush against his and he could have sworn he heard Kurt gasp when he did so.

Dancing had been a good idea. A very, very good idea. They were on the dance floor for four more songs when Blaine leaned in close to Kurt, mouth against his ear, "Wanna go outside for a bit?" he asked and he felt Kurt nod in response. Pulling back with a smile, Blaine took Kurt's hand and lead him through the cluster of dancing bodies and towards the glass door that lead to the patio. The air was crisp and cool and it was a very, very nice change from the sticky heat inside the house. Blaine watched as Kurt took a seat on one of the chairs and Blaine followed suit, sitting beside Kurt and immediately looking at him to find those cheeks of his incredibly flushed and so goddamn adorable.

"I'm glad you transferred to Dalton," Blaine was suddenly saying, words kind of meshing together.

Kurt quickly turned his head to look at Blaine blinking a few times looking a little confused at Blaine's out of the blue statement.

"I mean, I just really, really like being able to spend so much time with you."

Kurt watched Blaine for a few seconds before a little smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "Me too," he finally said, voice soft.

And then Blaine was reaching out to place his hand over Kurt's and Kurt's eyes were locked on Blaine, refusing to look away. Blaine didn't mind. Nope. Not one bit. Suddenly, he heard himself saying, "We should have played that game. I would have rigged it if I had to." And then, he stopped himself. Was he really saying all of this? All of these thoughts were just spewing out of his mouth and he couldn't control it and he was just _waiting_ for Kurt to freak the hell out and excuse himself, but he didn't. He just smiled softly at Blaine, eyes just as soft as that little pull at his lips. And suddenly, Blaine really, really wanted to kiss those lips. He wanted to know what those lips tasted like. He felt silly for wondering if they tasted like a mocha coffee.

"Hey guys, you've _gotta_ come see this! Nick's totally wasted and he's doing his impression of Mr. Avery again."

Blaine nearly jumped at the sudden voice coming from the door and he quickly turned in his seat to look back at Jeff who was looking behind him into the house, "Oh God, he just knocked the lamp over, ohmygod!" He laughed before moving back into the house and slamming the door shut behind him.

Blaine turned his attention back to Kurt with a little smile as he pulled his hand away and Kurt looked a little sad for a moment. "Nick's impressions are legendary," he said with a laugh as he waved Kurt to follow him back into the house. Kurt seemed to hesitate for a moment before he smiled and followed Blaine.

* * *

><p>Kurt was nearly doubling over in laughter as he held himself up against his door. "Oh, God," he managed between his laughter, "I haven't-I haven't laughed this hard in months!" He wiped the tears from his face as he stood up straight, pulling his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open as Blaine chuckled, following him in.<p>

"I told you," Blaine said as he tugged off his scarf and set it on Kurt's desk.

"I mean, not only are his impressions spot on, but the fact that he kept falling into people and knocking stuff over made it a hundred times funnier." He pulled off his own coat before tossing it over the back of his desk chair and crawling half way up his bed before collapsing with a sigh. He muttered something into the bed that Blaine couldn't understand.

Blaine laughed a little, "What?"

"I said…" Kurt muttered into the sheets before raising his head, "I'm so exhausted." And then he dropped his face into the bed with a groan. He didn't see Blaine crawl into the bed next to him, but he felt the mattress dip beside him. For the time being, he half ignored it, too tired to lift his head. However, he suddenly felt a hand resting on the small of his back as Blaine spoke.

"I really liked dancing with you tonight," Blaine was saying. "I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable or anything." Kurt had to admit that he really liked what he was hearing. Because Kurt was pretty much in love with Blaine and wanted nothing more that to just _be_ with him. Be his everything. Be his boyfriend. But Blaine seemed hesitant. They held hands and they were flirty but that was _it._ Blaine had never tried kissing Kurt, not once.

Normally, Kurt would have slapped someone's hand away if they came anywhere near his hair. But, when Blaine was stroking the back of his head, Kurt felt himself sigh contently because it felt really, really nice. And it was _Blaine._ And ohgod, Blaine was being so affectionate and Kurt loved all of this attention and he loved it when those hands touched him. Even if said hands might have been messing up his hair, it didn't really _matter_ because those were Blaine Anderson's hands.

"Not at all," Kurt said finally as he turned his head, cheek resting on the sheets and he looked up at Blaine who was smiling down at him warmly. "It's nice being able to dance with a boy without having to worry about grossing him out."

Blaine's face pulled into something like a little frown. "Why would you ever say something like that, Kurt?" He trailed his hand down along the nape of Kurt's neck. "You shouldn't have to feel that way. And for the record, you don't gross me out at all."

Kurt's heart practically exploded in his chest hearing those words. "Good," he said, surprised his voice didn't come out in a ridiculous squeak. "Because you don't gross me out either." It was really hard not to just reach out, grab Blaine's face and kiss him until he couldn't breathe.

"I should probably go to back to my room," Blaine said softly, fingers still lightly tracing along the back of Kurt's neck. "It's already past curfew."

_So just sleep here with me._

Kurt nodded. "Yeah," he muttered quietly, eyes never leaving Blaine's as the older boy smiled down at him with that adorable little head tilt of his head. And then he was leaning down to press a kiss against Kurt's temple, the exact place where that injury that finalized Kurt's transfer had been.

"Good night, Kurt," Blaine muttered when he pulled back and slid off of the bed. All Kurt could do was nod and stare with a little smile.

Tonight was a good night. No. Tonight was an _amazing night._


	11. A Date

Having parents in high places really paid off. Especially when said parents scored him two front row tickets to Rent. Of course, the moment Blaine had those tickets in his hands he decided that, yes, he would be taking Kurt with him. That night, Blaine immediately picked up his phone and quickly typed a text message to Kurt.

_I've got a surprise for you on Monday that you're going to love. ;)_

_-B._

Kurt's answer was quick.

_Now I have more of a reason to look forward to seeing you on Monday. :)_

_-K._

Blaine found himself staring at the text message for a few seconds, trying to figure out if Kurt meant what Blaine _thought _he meant. And if he was correct then, ohmyfreakinggod, his heart was about to beat right out of his chest. Kurt _missed_ Blaine.

* * *

><p>"Hey, wait up!" It was on the spiral staircase in the main building that Blaine finally found Kurt that morning. The younger boy stopped at the foot of the stairs, stepping aside and out of everyone's way as Blaine hurried to catch up to him. Kurt was giving him that little smile of his that Blaine absolutely adored.<p>

"So what's this extravagant surprise you have for me?" he asked.

"Hey," Blaine cut in, "I never said it was extravagant." He smiled a little before pulling the flap of his bag open and pulling out the little envelope that held the tickets. "My parents have connections," he began explaining. "And they managed to snag me two front row tickets to Rent for Friday night."

Kurt was staring at the envelope the entire time, eyes a little wide. After a few moments, those blue eyes flicked up to meet Blaine's. "No way," he muttered.

"Yes way," Blaine responded as he handed Kurt the envelope. "And you are more than welcome to hold on to them until Friday night."

"Blaine this is-this is _amazing._ I've always wanted to see Rent on stage-"

"And now you will have the opportunity to do so. And, added bonus, I'll be there." He winked before placing the tickets in Kurt's hand and pulling him into a quick hug. "I'll see you at Glee rehearsal." And then he was hurrying away. Yes, Blaine made a very good choice in deciding to invite Kurt along. The look of pure happiness and amazement on Kurt's face when Blaine showed him the tickets was just enough to make Blaine want to melt into a little puddle of bliss on the ground at Kurt's feet.

* * *

><p>Was this considered a date? Blaine had provided the tickets, he was driving and they were going to see a show-just the two of them. So, technically, it was considered a date in some form wasn't it? Well, a date as two <em>friends.<em> Friends went on dates. Yeah, totally. Even when one of the friends thought the other was the cutest most adorable thing in the world all bundled up in his black coat and striped scarf. Blaine loved the way Kurt's cheeks and nose would always turn this shade of pink whenever it was really cold outside.

When they reached Blaine's car, the older boy hurried in front of Kurt to open the door for him and Kurt nearly bowed his head sheepishly as he quietly thanked Blaine. In turn, the older boy just grinned before shutting the door beside Kurt and hurrying over to the driver's side of his car. Once he was settled in, he turned on the car and promptly cranked up the heat.

"I hate Ohio weather," muttered Kurt as he buried his nose into his scarf in a way that made Blaine's stomach do this funny little flip.

"But cold weather is an excuse to wear scarves," Blaine pointed out as he put the car in reverse and slowly began pulling out of the parking space.

"Yes, but it doesn't have to be _ridiculously_ cold," Kurt replied immediately before sitting up straight and tugging at the scarf a bit.

Half of the drive, Blaine spent it sneaking little peeks over at Kurt as the younger boy sang along to the music blasting through the speakers. There were times were Blaine just wanted to turn down the music completely so he could just listen to that beautiful voice instead of the voices coming out of his iPod. Kurt managed to notice Blaine looking over at him at one point and the younger boy smiled a little nervously.

"What?" he asked quietly, voice barely audible over the sound of the music.

Blaine shook his head and shrugged. "I just really like that scarf," he lied with a grin.

Kurt turned his eyes away from Blaine, the gesture just as nervous as the little smile he had given Blaine. "Light's green," he murmured as Blaine's head snapped forward just as the car behind him honked impatiently.

Driving with Kurt in the passenger's seat was very distracting.

Kurt did nothing to hide his excitement tonight, though. The moment they drove into the parking garage and were stepping out of the car, he nearly _bounced_ beside Blaine as they made their way towards the elevator. At one point, he was pretty sure he heard Kurt squeal before he spoke. "Front row seats, Blaine. Front _row!_"

Blaine laughed a little. "I know. I'm the one who got them, remember?"

Kurt shot him a little look to which Blaine grinned before bumping his shoulder into Kurt's before chuckling quietly. "C'mon," he said as he grabbed Kurt's hand and began tugging him out of the elevator. When they stepped out, though, he didn't let go. When they crossed the street and began walking towards the Performing Arts Center, he didn't let go. When they entered the building, he didn't let go. Despite the little side glances Blaine got from two or three people, he did not let go of Kurt's hand because he _couldn't _let go of Kurt's hand. Holding the younger boy's hand was far too pleasant. Besides, Kurt's hand fit in his rather nicely. Friends didn't hold hands on dates, a little voice in the back of Blaine's mind pointed out.

Eventually, though, Blaine _did _have to release Kurt's hand when it was time to pull out the tickets and turn them in. When the two boys found their seats and were settled in, Blaine turned a little in his chair to look at Kurt with a smile. "Now, I just want to let you know," he began, "that I don't expect anything in return for this, Kurt."

The younger boy looked like he was about to protest, but Blaine cut him off.

"The tickets were free," he said. "Really, it's no big deal, we get them all the time."

Kurt sighed before leaning back into his seat with a quiet little, "Fine." and then a silence settled between them as Blaine tugged the playbill open and began flipping through it quietly. The silence lasted for a few minutes, and then Kurt was speaking up softly. "Can I ask you something?"

Blaine looked up from the little booklet in his hand. Kurt's face was serious which made Blaine draw his eyebrows together for a moment as he muttered, "Uh, sure."

"Is this a date?"

Blaine nearly choked on his own breath. He wasn't entire sure how he managed to keep composure as he managed a soft, little, "Umm…" before looking down at his lap for a moment and then looking up at Kurt. "Technically, yes," he tried. And after a moment he smiled softly. "Yeah, it is." This time, his voice was a little more sure of itself. It _was_ a date.

Kurt smile was soft as he looked down at his playbill and flipped it open. Blaine watched the younger boy for a few moments before turning his attention down to his own playbill. Now he was confused. This wasn't Kurt's weird way of asking Blaine to be his-ohgod-boyfriend, was it? The very term made Blaine's heart flutter in his chest. No, they weren't boyfriends. They hadn't even kissed. They were just really, really good friends.

Blaine had trouble focusing throughout the show. He was far too focused on the boy sitting beside him. Far too focused on wondering if he should reach over and grab Kurt's hand. Far too focused on the idea of pulling that hand up and pressing a kiss to Kurt's knuckles _just because._ He wasn't allowed to, though. Because he was stuck in the friend zone. But he could change that, couldn't he? Blaine really, really wanted to change that because he really liked Kurt. He liked him more than a friend or a mentor should. Intermission came and went and Blaine was able to focus a little more during the second act. It wasn't as much of a blur in his mind as the first one. However, the only reason Blaine was able to focus his attention on the show was because he stopped thinking about holding Kurt's hand. The reason: he had finally reached out and taken the younger boy's hand and held on to it for the rest of the performance.

Kurt was giddy and bouncy and all kinds of happy and Blaine mentally filed that away for later use: take Kurt out to see Broadway shows more often. He couldn't help but wonder if this was something Kurt loved doing but didn't do _enough._ Considering it wasn't really his dad's thing and Mercedes didn't seem to be too much of a musical theater fan to let Kurt drag her out to these shows so often.

"I couldn't have hoped for a better reaction from you," Blaine said as he started up his car.

"Oh, God. Anything that has to do with musical theater will have me reacting this way, you should know this by now." Kurt beamed.

Naturally, they sang Rent songs on the drive back to Dalton and this time, they had no music to accompany their singing so Blaine could listen to that beautiful voice. It was dark, so Kurt probably didn't see the look of sheer bliss on Blaine's face which Blaine was a little thankful for. That would have been a little embarrassing.

As they walked into their hall, Kurt was chatting away about the woman he was sitting next to. "She would _not_ shut up, Blaine, you have no idea. Stop me if I'm wrong, but isn't it theater etiquette to _not_ sing along with all the damn songs?"

"No, no, you're completely right," Blaine said. "Did she at least have a good singing voice?"

"No!" Kurt snapped as he shoved his key into the lock and pushed the door open. "She was god awful! I can't believe you didn't hear her."

Blaine laughed with a little shrug as he shut the door behind him.

"I guess someone said _something_ because she finally stopped singing during the second act." Kurt sighed as he dropped down onto the edge of his bed, tugging off his scarf. Then he froze. "Oh. Oh, god, I'm sorry, Blaine. I didn't mean to complain or anything about the seats. They were lovely-perfect. I-"

Blaine laughed at Kurt's sudden change in attitude. "It's fine, Kurt. Really."

Sitting beside Kurt, Blaine dropped down to lay back on the bed, legs dangling over the edge as he spoke. "I'm so glad you agreed to come along with me tonight. The other guys don't really appreciate musicals as much as I do."

Kurt scoffed. "Are you kidding me? Musicals are my _life._" And then he paused. "Well, except for fashion. They're kind of on the same level…They're like my children. I can't really pick a favorite." And then he leaned back on the bed beside Blaine. "Thank you for inviting me. Tonight was amazing…"

Blaine turned his head a little to look at Kurt. He expected Kurt to be looking up at the ceiling, but instead, his eyes were on Blaine. They stayed that way, looking at one another silently, a little smile tugging at Kurt's lips. And then, Blaine was propping himself up on his elbow, looking down at Kurt who was still staring up at him with those pretty blue eyes.

Slowly, Blaine was leaning down, tilting his head a little as he lightly pressed his lips to Kurt's. For a moment, Kurt froze beneath him and for that split moment, Blaine thought this was a bad idea. Maybe he should have let Kurt be the one to kiss him. After having his first kiss stolen by Karofsky, Blaine didn't want to force himself on Kurt. Right as Blaine was going to pull away, Kurt was responding, bringing his hand up to touch the back of Blaine's neck and press into the kiss a little. Blaine nearly sighed in relief, shoulders relaxing a little bit. And those lips felt so incredibly perfect again his own. Blaine broke the kiss for a moment to kiss at Kurt's bottom lip once, a sweet, chaste little kiss before he pulled away. Kurt's fingers were still lightly pressed against the back of Blaine's neck as he felt the younger boy sigh against his lips which were still hovering over Kurt's. Blaine smiled down into those pretty blue eyes before pulling back a little more, Kurt's hand falling from where it held the back of Blaine's neck. Blaine suddenly felt like this heavy weight had been lifted up off of his shoulders. He had finally _kissed_ Kurt and it was _perfect. _Kurt hadn't freaked out or pushed him away or anything. In fact, Kurt was smiling up at Blaine with this blissful little look on his face.

"A perfect way to end a perfect date," Kurt breathed with a little laugh before Blaine leaned down for another kiss, just for good measure. This time, Blaine brought his hand up to touch the side of Kurt's face that was warm beneath his hand. Blaine wanted to memorize the feel of Kurt's lips against his own. Memorize that feeling that he had caught himself thinking about far too many times. Blaine smiled against those lips before slowly pulling back and sitting up, hand still against Kurt's cheek. He watched as Kurt leaned his face into Blaine's touch before opening his eyes to smile up at the older boy.

This probably meant that Blaine had definitely gone past that friendly mentor level, didn't it? And Blaine was totally cool with that. Kurt seemed to feel the same was judging from the way he was just staring up at Blaine with these lovesick puppy eyes.

"Absolutely," Blaine finally responded softly to Kurt's words, finger brushing over his cheek. And then he laughed a little, face completely flushed at this point. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that," he whispered.

And then that beautiful laugh filled the air as Kurt closed his eyes for a moment, nuzzling into Blaine's hand before looking up. "Oh, I think I might have an idea." And then he grinned.

Kurt couldn't have spoken truer words. This definitely was the perfect way to end the best date (and pretty much only) Blaine had ever been on. Front row tickets to Rent followed by a kiss shared with Kurt Hummel? Yeah, that was pretty amazing. Kurt was pretty amazing.

"I should, um," Blaine heard himself saying, "I should probably go." He saw a little flash of disappointment cross Kurt's face before he nodded a little, sitting up as Blaine slid off of the bed and stood. "Breakfast tomorrow?" offered Blaine with a little smile as he took Kurt's hand into his own, thumb brushing over the back of Kurt's hand. The younger boy smiled as Blaine bowed his head, bringing Kurt's hand to his mouth, brushing a kiss against his knuckles. "Very good then," he said, pulling away with a hint of that fake British accent that made Kurt laugh and roll his eyes as he pulled his hand out of Blaine's gentle grasp. "Goodnight, Kurt," Blaine said, words free of that cheesy fake accent.

Kurt smiled softly as he muttered a gentle "Goodnight…" before Blaine stepped through the door, leaning against it the moment he shut it. Eyes slid shut as leaned his head against the door with a little sigh. His heart was still racing and his face was still flushed.

So, this meant that Kurt was officially his boyfriend, didn't it?

Blaine was cool with that. He was totally cool with that.


	12. Mine

**Oh my god. The response that I've gotten for this story is amazing. Thank you guys so much for all of your kind reviews. It really means so, so very much to me. Like, seriously! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this fanfic!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

><p>Blaine hardly slept the previous night due to the ridiculous amount of butterflies fluttering about his stomach. He couldn't seem to get Kurt out of his mind because Kurt was his <em>boyfriend<em> now. That adorable customer who ordered the grande non-fat mocha every time he went into the Lima Bean was Blaine's boyfriend. Blaine could _kiss_ those pretty lips just because he wanted to. He could hold Kurt's hand and say, yes, this boy _is _my boyfriend, your point?

This morning, Blaine was giddy. Boy was he giddy. Not because he was meeting Kurt for breakfast, but because he was meeting Kurt, _his boyfriend_ for breakfast. Blaine would be repeating that term in his head several times now and he wouldn't be ashamed to admit it.

Blaine nearly bounced over to Kurt's door, quickly knocking at it and tugging at his scarf, a goofy grin on his face. Within seconds, Kurt was pulling the door open, looking a little frustrated. Blaine blinked, confused. "What's wrong?" Kurt was still wearing his silk pajama top, but changed into a pair of black skinny jeans.

"I _can't_ decide on an outfit," Kurt breathed before turning back and moving over to his closet to sort through it as Blaine stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Moving over to Kurt's bed, he sat on the edge, watching the younger boy go through the different articles of clothing muttering to himself softly.

"Kurt," Blaine laughed softly, "it's just breakfast on campus. We're not going to some fancy restaurant."

"I know. But ever since I've been forced into wearing the uniforms here, I've been going through withdrawals, Blaine. _Withdrawals."_

Blaine laughed again. "From your outfits?"

"_Yes._" Kurt nearly whined as he tossed a vest onto the bed followed by a white, long-sleeved shirt. Blaine found himself laughing, to which Kurt shot him a little look before asking, "What?" very sharply.

"Just you," Blaine grinned. "And your outfits. It's adorable."

That dangerous little look Kurt was giving him quickly fell as he looked away and moved over to the bed to grab at the clothes. Before Kurt pulled his arm away, Blaine reached out to lightly grab at Kurt's wrist, smiling up at him. Kurt's eyes quickly darted away from the clothes and onto Blaine. Giving Kurt's wrist a little tug, Blaine pulled him down towards him before kissing Kurt again _just because he could._ And, oh god, it was so nice to just be able to _kiss_ Kurt whenever he wanted to. The kiss was quick, just a little peck, but it was enough to satisfy Blaine. And it was definitely enough to keep Kurt from continuing to freak out about his outfit. Releasing Kurt's arm, Blaine looked over to the clothes before nodding in approval. "I think that'll do." And then he smiled up at Kurt.

* * *

><p>"All I'm saying is that the Warblers need to loosen up a little bit." Kurt raised a spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth slowly chewing and swallowing before he sighed. "Maybe if <em>you<em> try saying something they'll listen. They obviously don't care about what I have to say."

Blaine sighed softly as he leaned back into his chair, poking at his pancakes. "Kurt, that's not true, c'mon." He forked a bit of the pancakes into his mouth. And then, he muttered through a mouthful of the fluffy goodness, "Oh, my god, these are amazing."

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Blaine," Kurt snapped with an arch of a brow causing Blaine to smirk before swallowing.

"I'll try suggesting it," Blaine said, cutting into his pancakes.

Kurt's idea: more unplanned performances. Kurt thought that the Warblers didn't do it enough. The New Directions did those all the time. Kurt explained that he was convinced that was what gave the New Directions such great chemistry with one another. They worked well together because they knew how to let loose and just sing and dance their heart outs. Kurt expressed that he thought the Warblers were a little too up tight.

Blaine decided to speak to Thad, Wes and David before Glee rehearsal. If he chose to speak to them in front of the rest of the club, it would turn into a bit of chaos. With a bit of convincing, the council agreed, especially after Blaine explained that it was something their opposing team at Regionals did. If it helped them then maybe it would help the Warblers.

And Blaine had the perfect selection for a song. A song everyone knew. A song you simply _couldn't_ know, and if you didn't, you probably had a sad childhood. At least, that was Blaine's logic.

The room slowly began filling with boys as they dropped their bags in the back of the room, chatting away. When Blaine saw Kurt enter, he immediately stood from his spot on the couch to join Kurt as the younger boy crossed the room, pulling his bag off. Blaine took it from Kurt as he spoke. "I talked to them," he began, carefully setting Kurt's bag down on one of the chairs.

"And…?" Kurt drew the word out slowly.

Blaine only grinned in response as he gave Kurt's hand a little tug, leading him to one of the couches and watching as Kurt took a seat. Blaine remained standing behind him, a hand on Kurt's shoulder. Soon enough, the entire club was present and everyone was settled. Wes was the first to speak up.

"Junior member, Blaine Warbler. The floor is yours." There was a bit of a smile on his face as he looked at Blaine who nodded in response.

Suddenly, Blaine found himself singing. No explanation, no introduction. Nothing. He was just _singing._

"_Let's get down to business…to defeat…the Huns."_ He moved around the edge of the couch, all eyes on him as a few of the boys laughed a little. "_Did they send me daughters-" _pointed around the room, "_-when I asked…for sons? You're the saddest-"_ he dropped his hand to his side "_-bunch I've ever met…and you can bet before we're through. Mister, I'll…make a man…out of you."_

By this time, everyone had caught on as they harmonized their voices in tune to the instrumental part of the song.

Blaine hopped up onto one of the chairs. "_Tranquil as a forest…but on fire…within." _He brought his hands together before his chest, as sort of a meditating stance. "_Once you find your center…you are sure to win."_ He dropped his hands. _"You're a spineless, pale pathetic lot. And you haven't got a clue. Somehow I'll…make a man…out of you!" _With the final word, he leapt off of the chair, running across the room to pull one of the boys to his feet, encouraging him to sing the next part.

"_I'm never gonna catch my breath."_

And then Wes was moving around the council's table, singing the next part. _"Say goodbye to those who knew me."_

And then another voice. _"Boy was I a fool in school for cutting gym!"_

"_This guy's got 'em scared to death!"_

And then Kurt was leaping to his feet. _"Hope he doesn't see right through me!"_

Blaine tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat at the sound of that beautiful voice.

"_Now I really wish that I knew how to swim!"_

And finally, all the voices in the room sang together. _"Be a man!"_

"_You must be swift as the coursing river._" Blaine weaved around the various bodies throughout the room. _"With all the force of a great typhoon. With all the strength of a raging fire. Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!"_

Blaine honestly could not remember the last time he had this much fun in Glee rehearsal. Kurt was right. Everything _was _so uptight and perfectly organized. They never sang songs that weren't possible selections for the competition. "I'll Make A Man Out of You" from Mulan was obviously not a good song choice for a choir competition, but it was _fun_ so it didn't matter. They were all improvising and they were all having fun. So much fun, actually, that they spent the remainder of Glee rehearsal singing Disney songs.

As Blaine was gathering his belongings, he noticed Wes clapping Kurt on the shoulder and saying something to him with a huge smile on his face. Quite possibly thanking Kurt for his suggestion and maybe even apologizing for not listening in the first place. There was a little sheepish smile on Kurt face as he nodded at Wes before heading over to Blaine to gather his own belongings.

"Thank you, Blaine," Kurt was saying as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "For talking to them."

Blaine held his hand out and Kurt took it almost immediately as they began heading out the room. "You're the one who should be thanked," Blaine said. "It was your idea. That was actually really fun," he said with a little laugh.

"Disney songs, though?" Kurt asked with a little laugh.

"Oh, come on. You know you loved my selection."

Kurt sighed, giving Blaine's hand an affectionate little squeeze.

* * *

><p>Blaine tried sneaking little kisses onto Kurt's forehead, cheek and lips whenever he could manage. Kurt didn't seem to be complaining. In fact, Kurt seemed to love it judging from the way his breath would hitch whenever Blaine would surprise him with a kiss. He <em>loved<em> Kurt's reactions and they only made Blaine want to give Kurt more of those little surprise kisses.

It had only been a few weeks since their first kiss. They were taking things slow, though. Blaine wasn't sure if he liked that or not. He didn't want to overwhelm Kurt. The younger boy had never really been in a relationship, but neither had Blaine. So, he was completely clueless in knowing when it was right to do what. So, Blaine was just doing whatever felt right.

And right now, as Blaine was sitting on the floor to his room and Kurt was lying on his bed reading through his biology text book, it felt so very right to kiss Kurt. He had caught himself staring at Kurt quite a bit throughout the day. They shared two classes together and Blaine usually walked Kurt to class whenever he could. And the entire time he was in Kurt's presence, his eyes would flicker down to those pink lips and he briefly found himself looking at that pretty, slender neck. The most they had done was kiss for a few seconds and rarely was there tongue involved. Blaine always found himself craving a little more, though.

His homework had been long forgotten about five minutes ago and Kurt was the main subject on his mind now. Kurt, who was brushing at his bangs and biting his lip as he stared at the open book lying before him. Soon enough, Blaine was crawling away from his own book and notes and up to the edge of the bed, eyes on Kurt. The younger boy noticed him there and looked up from his notes to smile at Blaine. Blaine grinned in response. "Hi," he said softly.

"Hi." Kurt laughed a little.

Suddenly, Blaine was crawling onto the bed, pushing the text book aside as he closed it. Kurt looked like he was about to complain, but before he could say a single word, Blaine's lips were on his, a hand cupping the side of Kurt's cheek. He smiled softly against those lips he had been staring at all damn day. Before he could second guess himself, Blaine was parting his own lips slightly as he ran his tongue over Kurt's bottom lip, silently asking for entry. Kurt tugged at Blaine's tie, pulling him a little closer as his lips finally parted in response, a quiet noise escaping from the back of his throat that made Blaine nearly shiver. He pressed into the kiss a little more, leading Kurt down onto his back so that he was hovering over the younger boy, head tilting in an attempt to deepen the kiss.

Normally when they kissed, they were sitting on the edge of the bed. Or Kurt was sitting and Blaine was leaning over him. This-This was intimacy on a completely different level and Blaine was completely fine with this.

Pulling back a little, Blaine opened his eyes to look down at Kurt, smiling softly. After a moment, he lowered his head to kiss along that gorgeous jaw line and then down the length of Kurt's neck. Blaine suddenly heard Kurt gasp below him and he pulled his head back to look down at Kurt.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Blaine said quickly. "Is this too much?" By this time, he heart was hammering at his chest. And then, Kurt shook his head quickly.

"No, no. Absolutely not." And then Kurt released his hold on Blaine's tie, fingers gently wrapping around Blaine's neck. "I just…never realized how sensitive…" Kurt's cheeks were burning red.

Blaine chuckled a little before lowering his head and kissing at Kurt's neck experimentally. As he trailed little kisses along that neck, he could feel Kurt's fingers lightly digging into his skin. Blaine nearly smirked against Kurt's neck as he dragged his mouth along his boyfriend's skin and up to his ear, kissing softly. Kurt's breath hitched and Blaine laughed softly into his ear before Kurt pushed at his chest.

"We're supposed to be studying," he managed to finally say.

Blaine kissed at his ear again before speaking softly into it. "Well, we're taking a break." And then he pulled his head back a little to look down at Kurt and then press one, two, three kisses on his mouth. Smiling, Blaine pulled his head back to at Kurt who's cheeks were still flushed. Finally, Blaine decided to move away as he took Kurt's text book and placed it on Kurt's stomach with a quiet little, "There." And then a wink before Blaine was moving off of the bed leaving a slightly frustrated Kurt behind. Blaine was being a tease and he damn well knew it.

Blaine decided that he really liked having Kurt stretched out beneath him. He liked the way Kurt would stop breathing for a moment when Blaine's mouth would find his neck. He loved the little sounds Kurt would make when Blaine kissed him. They only encouraged Blaine to do these things more. It made Blaine _want_ more and, damnit, how had he gone so long without a boyfriend? And why had he waited so long to kiss Kurt?

That didn't even matter anymore, because the fact of the matter was that he _had_ finally kissed Kurt and Kurt was now his.

Blaine cared about Kurt more than he could begin to explain. And for that reason, he didn't want to push Kurt into doing things he wasn't comfortable with. So far, things were going quite swimmingly and Kurt was responding fairly well to Blaine when they kissed. They were barely at second base, however. When they kissed, there wasn't much touching involved save for the gentle brush at the arm and cheek. It was so incredibly difficult to keep his hands to himself, though. That smooth, pale skin was always to nice to touch and Blaine was always so tempted to slip a hand over the small of Kurt's back and let his hand just rest on the warmth of Kurt's skin. However, he didn't want to freak Kurt out. He didn't want to put himself through that embarrassment when Kurt would shove Blaine away and ask him what he was doing. And then Blaine would babble on and apologize like an idiot.

Blaine's eyes were on his text book at this point, but he wasn't really paying attention to the words he was reading. His mind was focused on his gorgeous boyfriend. He was far too focused on the idea of _wanting_ said boyfriend stretched out beneath him once again. Blaine was a patient person, though. He was willing to take things slow because unlike most individuals his age this relationship with Kurt-despite it being his first-actually _mattered. _It meant something and Blaine wasn't about to screw that something up. Kurt had very quickly climbed to the top of his list of priorities and it seemed like he was going to stay there for a very, very long time.

Blaine had fallen for a beautiful boy named Kurt Hummel.


	13. What I Like About You

"Wait, what?" Mercedes' voice cut right through the phone and into Kurt's ear. "You guys have been dating for _how long?_"

Kurt nearly bowed his head shamefully. Mercedes made Kurt promise to tell her about any development between him and Blaine before he left McKinley. And Kurt _had_ promised and he was planning on telling her that he and Blaine were finally together. But he had been so _busy_ and he kind of forgot.

"I'm so sorry, Mercedes," Kurt said. "I've just been so tied up with school work that I just forgot."

"How could you just _forget_ something so _important? _You promised."

"I know, I know, and I'm _sorry._"

He heard Mercedes sigh and Kurt could practically see her shaking her head in disappointment before she spoke up again. "To make it up to me, I'm dragging you to the mall tomorrow and you're helping me pick out some new outfits."

Kurt laughed quietly. "You make it sound like that's a _bad_ thing." He smiled softly. Kurt really, really missed his friends at McKinley. A lot. Sure, he was gay and of course people assumed that it would be a gay boy's dream to go to an all boy's school. In reality, though, Kurt was missing his girlfriends at McKinley much more than he thought he would. He even missed _Rachel_ and that was saying something.

"Don't tempt me." Despite her words of warning, Mercedes laughed.

"I miss you guys so much," he found himself saying suddenly. "Dalton is great and I've got Blaine but…that's pretty much all I've got here. I haven't really made any friends. Just…acquaintances…"

"Is there any chance of you coming back?"

Kurt sighed. "Not as long as Karofsky is around…"

Kurt loved being at Dalton. He loved the respect, he love the dorm rooms and he loved being able to see Blaine so often. However, he was still having trouble finding his place here. At McKinley, he got straight A's with hardly any effort. Here he had to work twice as hard to score a B. And the teachers here didn't really seem to notice him _or_ his hard work. He was used to the praise from the teachers at McKinley. They loved Kurt because he was one of the few students in the school who actually _cared_ about school work. Here everyone cared and everyone was miles ahead of students that went to public schools. The environment was much more different than Kurt expected.

The following day, Kurt met up with Mercedes at the mall and was surprised to see that Tina and Rachel tagged along as well. And, oh god, it was so nice to be around _girls_ again. They didn't throw food at each other and didn't talk about football. And best of all, girls didn't talk about _girls. _At least, these girls didn't. That always seemed to be the main topic at the table during lunch break. Kurt usually found himself sitting back and eating in silence for the majority of the time unless he and Blaine managed to engage in a conversation. Kurt figured that since Dalton was an all boys school, the students here were _deprived_ of the female gender. Because of that, they would be more girl crazy than boys at McKinley. And, honestly, it was beginning to drive Kurt a little crazy listening to Nick talk about how "Freaking hot that one chick that works at The Lima Bean" was. And then, Blaine would respond, "Who, Maddie? Oh god, _please_, Nick, just stop talking. She's my friend." and then Nick would say, "But she has a _killer_ body, dude. Even you have to admit that much." And they would go back and forth for a while before Kurt would pipe up and make an attempt to change the subject.

"Why didn't you bring Blaine along, Kurt?" Rachel was asking as she sat beside him while Tina and Mercedes were in the fitting rooms.

"He had plans. Besides, he doesn't seem like the shopping type." Blaine seemed to break quite a few of the gay stereotypes. And some of those broken stereotypes made Kurt practically swoon because he found it kind of hot. Like the fact that Blaine loved football. Kurt couldn't help but wonder if he was part of the team in his old school. And then his mind ended up wandering over to picturing Blaine in football gear and Kurt had to stop himself because the idea was kind of ridiculously hot.

Oh, Kurt totally _didn't_ have a thing for football players. Of course not. That's why he totally wasn't in love with Finn all of last year. And that's why he definitely didn't have a crush on Sam when he first transferred to McKinley.

"Oh, but I want to meet him! I told my dads _all _about you guys yesterday and they want to meet you two!" she piped up excitedly to which Kurt arched a brow.

"I'm…not sure if I should be flattered or slightly creeped out."

"Flattered," Rachel responded almost immediately.

"Are we hot or are we _hot?_" Mercedes was suddenly saying as she stepped out of the dressing room followed by Tina who twirled around to show off the adorable little sundress she was wearing.

"Definitely hot," Kurt responded with a grin. "You girls simply _must_ get these. They're so perfect!"

Oh, Kurt definitely missed his girls.

* * *

><p>"Okay, your turn," Blaine said with a smile.<p>

That Saturday night, Blaine had suggested playing a game. An…interesting game. One that Kurt was a little hesitant about, but agreed to do it after Blaine threw him a little "Please, Kurt?" accompanied with these puppy dog eyes. It was really, really hard to say no to Blaine then, even for Kurt. His puppy dog look was more effective than Finn's and _that_ was definitely saying something.

The game was silly, really. And Kurt felt a little silly himself for agreeing to it. Basically, it was a form of truth or dare just…without the dare part. They had to bounce back and forth and reveal little unknown facts about themselves. Blaine explained that it was much more fun to do it with a group of people and it was even better when there was alcohol involved. However, the greater majority of their friends (well, more like Blaine's friends) were off at some party. Blaine had invited Kurt along, but the younger boy decided to stay home tonight. He missed Lima and he missed his bed. He missed Carole's cooking and he kind of missed hearing Finn swearing at his T.V. screen during a round of Halo with Puckerman. Originally, Blaine was going to the party, but decided against it at the last minute and showed up at Kurt's doorstep. Blaine was the very last person Kurt was expecting to see when he opened the front door and Blaine was standing there wrapped up in that gray and red striped scarf and black coat.

So, Kurt currently found himself sitting up in his room on his bed with Blaine facing his boyfriend as they played this ridiculously childish game.

"Alright. Um." Kurt paused for a moment, looking off to the side, deep in thought. "…I used to be a Cheerio."

Blaine snorted in laughter. "A what?"

Oh, right. Cheerio was a term pretty much only used at McKinley. "A cheerleader at McKinley."

Blaine blinked looking a little shocked. "Really?" he asked with a small smile after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah. Last year. Mercedes and I decided to join because we weren't getting the solos we deserved in Glee club. Coach Sylvester promised us those solos if we joined the squad. So…we did." Kurt shrugged with a little laugh. "It was during Coach Sylvester's Madonna phase so we performed a number with the song 4 Minutes. And I have to say, we pretty much _killed_ it." By this time, Kurt was grinning.

Blaine arched a brow expectantly. "There wouldn't happen to be a video of this anywhere, would there?" he asked.

Kurt stopped to think for a moment. He knew that Rachel had created a youtube account for the New Directions (even though she was the only one who ever used it.) She mentioned uploading a few of their numbers onto the channel, but he wasn't sure if she had bothered uploading 4 Minutes since it wasn't technically Glee club material. "Maybe," Kurt said as he leaned over Blaine to grab his phone from the night stand. In the process, he felt Blaine brush a little kiss on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt smiled happily as he sat back down and unlocked his phone before opening the youtube app to search for the video. As he did so, he spoke up.

"Okay, your turn," he said, eyes on the screen.

Blaine was silent for a few seconds, probably thinking of what to reveal next. And almost as if Blaine had read what was on Kurt's mind earlier that afternoon, he spoke. "I used to be on the football team in my old school."

Kurt looked up from his phone to smile at Blaine. His stomach nearly flipped. So his suspicions were right. Blaine _was_ on the football team and he _had_ worn one of those football uniforms at one point-and dear god, Kurt needed to stop finding something so simple so ridiculously attractive. "Pictures?" he asked with a little grin.

Blaine laughed quietly. "Maybe?" he offered. "There were some in the yearbook, but I haven't looked at that thing in ages…"

Kurt turned his attention back to the phone as the search results began piling up. And, sure enough, there was the video of him and Mercedes during the pep rally that afternoon. "Found it," he said as he tapped at the little thumbnail. Kurt looked up from the screen at Blaine, smiling. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." And, holy crap, he did not mean for it to come out like _that._ Blaine must have seen the look of sheer terror on Kurt's face because he was suddenly laughing loudly. Kurt reached out and shoved at Blaine's shoulder. "Shut _up!_ You know what I mean, you pervert!"

Blaine chuckled. "I'm not the one who said it!"

"But you're the one who took it out of context!"

"Touché." Blaine grinned before scooting closer to Kurt to look down at the screen. "I'll show you a picture as soon as I find the yearbook. Now, gimmie," he said, making an attempt to tug the phone out of Kurt's grasp. Kurt kept a firm hold on it, staring at Blaine through narrowed eyes.

"You're a perv," he said again before releasing the phone and letting Blaine press play and begin watching.

"_Come on, boy, I've been waiting for somebody to_

_Pick up my stroll. Uh."_

On the screen, Mercedes and Kurt walked side by side along the gym floor. Around them, the band played loudly.

"_Well, don't waste time give me a sign_

_Tell me how you wanna roll."_

The band moved away and the cheerleaders filled the area. Kurt and Mercedes took their places among the girls as Kurt sang and moved along with the cheerleaders. _"I want somebody to speed it up for me_

_Then take it down slow_

_There's enough room for both."_

Kurt's eyes were on Blaine as he watched the older boy watching the video. He saw Blaine's lips twitch into a little smile as he continued to watch in silence.

"_Time is waiting_

_We only got four minutes to save the world_

_No hesitating_

_Grab a boy, grab a girl!"_

And soon enough, the video was over. The person filming focused the camera onto the ground before shutting it off as the crowd exploded in applause. It took Blaine a few moments to finally lower the phone onto his lap before he looked up at Kurt. It was difficult to read the expression on Blaine's face. Was he impressed? Was he bored? Soon enough, Kurt's question was answered when Blaine was suddenly speaking. "That, um. That was really, _really_ good Kurt. You really know how to move-I mean. Uh. Wow- So, why did you quit the Cheerios?" he asked quickly.

_You really know how to move._

Did Blaine really just say that? Kurt was staring back at his boyfriend a little wide eyed before snapping out of this state of pure _stupid_ and speaking. "I couldn't really keep up with that and Glee," he said a little dumbly, still recovering from Blaine's comment.

"You deserve a lot more solos," Blaine said. "You have amazing stage presence."

What? Ohmygod, what? Kurt was definitely _not_ used to this kind of praise, but he definitely liked it. A lot.

"That's what I was trying to prove, but I guess Mr. Schue never really saw that."

"Well, he was wrong," Blaine nearly cut Kurt off. "And that uniform looks amazing on you." He grinned a little at Kurt's breath nearly caught at his throat.

Somehow, he managed to play it off cool despite the fact that Kurt was freaking the hell out on the inside. "Have a thing for cheerleaders, do we?" he asked with a smirk. And he could have _sworn_ Blaine was blushing as he shoved the phone back at Kurt.

"It's your turn," Blaine said quickly.

* * *

><p>Blaine never knew he had a thing for cheerleaders. Until Kurt showed him that video of him and Mercedes performing 4 Minutes at their pep rally. Apparently, now Blaine had a thing for cheerleaders. He really had a thing for boyfriends in cheer-leading uniforms. Uniforms that showed off his arms and uniforms that had him wearing a sweatband around those pretty, pale arms. And holy crap, what? When did he suddenly start having <em>a thing<em> for cheerleaders?

Kurt was doing things to him this weekend without even _realizing _it. Because the next day, when Blaine was invited back over to Kurt's house Blaine was kindly informed by Carole that Kurt was over at his dad's mechanic shop. Blaine had blinked in confusion, wondering if Kurt had forgotten than Blaine would be over. But, oh yeah, right. He checked his phone and saw that he had a missed call and a text message from Kurt saying that he would be over at the shop. Carole gave Blaine directions on how to get to the shop and thankfully, it was only a ten minute drive.

When Blaine got out of his car and walked into the shop, what he saw was something he _definitely_ was not expecting. When Kurt said he helped his dad out in his mechanic shop he assumed Kurt would be helping out in the office with paper work or answering phone calls. Kurt Hummel did not seem like the type of boy to work under the hood of a car. He didn't seem like the type of boy to duck under an old Cadillac and sit back up to look at Blaine, face covered in grease. Hands and arms smeared with those dark stains. Yet, there he was, grinning back at Blaine, hair a little messy as he ran his fingers through it and walked over to Blaine. And, ohmygod , Kurt smelled like car oil and this should not have been as hot as Blaine found it. Blaine wasn't sure if he wanted to thank or curse the fact that this damn shop was filled with other people because he _knew_ that if it was just him and Kurt he would have been pressing Kurt against the side of that damn Cadillac. He knew he would have been kissing Kurt hot and desperate right then.

"Hey," Blaine said, voice coming out slow. And then he laughed a little as he raised a hand to run it over his gelled hair. "Wasn't expecting…this…" His eyebrows hiked as he took this opportunity to get a good look at Kurt dressed in that jumpsuit the looked so goddamn good on him. Too good.

Kurt was smirking a little. "Breaking stereotypes, remember?"

"Yeah. Yeah, definitely," Blaine breathed before looking around the shop for a moment and then back at Kurt. "Will your dad shoot me if I just decided to kiss you right now?" he asked softly as he noticed Burt poke his head from under the hood of one of the cars to look at them.

"Probably," Kurt said softly with a little laugh. "I think he has a shotgun hiding in his office for the sole purpose of keeping you in line."

Blaine's eyes went a little wide as he stared back at Kurt who giggled. "Relax," he said through his quiet laughter. "I'm joking." And then he brushed his hand over Blaine's before stepping back. "I'll be just a few more minutes. Then I need to go home and shower because I smell atrocious. Sorry you have to see me this way."

"You _really_ don't have to be sorry," said Blaine, voice low. Kurt's lips turned into a little smile before he turned and moved back over to his work under the Cadillac. Blaine decided to wander over to Burt and help him out because if he didn't he would spend the rest of his time here just _staring_ at Kurt uncontrollably. And that would be very awkward considering Burt was right freaking there.

Another thing to add to Blaine's list of things he found sexy about his boyfriend: Kurt as a grease monkey.

"I wouldn't mind helping your dad out at the garage," Blaine was saying after Kurt had stepped out from his shower and was rubbing his damp hair with a towel.

Kurt laughed a little before tossing the towel in his hamper and sitting on the bed. "Well, you sure seem eager all of the sudden."

Shit. Caught in the act. Blaine smiled a little before shrugging. "The offer stands." And then he was crawling over to Kurt and pressing a little kiss on his mouth before speaking against those lips. "I think I like the jumpsuit more than the uniform." Blaine pressed his lips to Kurt's once again as he raised a hand to Kurt's chest, leading him down to lie on his back. In the process. He broke the kiss for a moment but was diving right back into it. There was a little more heat this time, mouth moving against Kurt's, quickly gaining a delicious response from Kurt as the younger boy whimpered softly just as Blaine's mouth moved to Kurt's neck. And then there was that gasp that never seemed to fail. Kurt loved attention to his neck and Blaine could tell from the way his fingers were lightly digging into his shirt.

Blaine grinned against Kurt's skin before he let his tongue lick a little strip of skin. "You smell so good," he muttered against Kurt's neck before trailing little kisses up the side of that neck and lightly nipping at Kurt's earlobe. And, holycrap, the smell was intoxicating and it was so _Kurt_ and so delicious and Blaine wanted more. And then, there was another little noise escaping Kurt as Blaine licked at this little spot right beneath Kurt's ear before nuzzling his ear.

Lowering his head a little, Blaine continued trailing little kisses along the side of Kurt's neck, along his throat and down to the hollow of his throat. And that's where Blaine stopped before raising his head a little to look down at Kurt who's cheeks were burning, lips slightly parted. And, ohgod, he was panting softly. And that had to have been the _hottest_ thing Blaine had seen. And the way Kurt was just _looking_ at him with this dark look in his eyes. Blaine couldn't help himself as he pressed a little kiss on those lips before nipping at Kurt's lower lip. The younger boy responded immediately as he tugged Blaine closer, making him gasp softly against Kurt's mouth. And then their lips were moving against one another in this slow, sweet kiss that had Blaine moaning softly. And-shit, they needed to stop because Blaine could feel himself spiraling out of control and there was this _heat_ pooling up in his stomach.

Pulling away from the kiss, Blaine lowered his head to Kurt's neck, nuzzling into it before sighing softly and smiling. "And you taste good, too," he finally muttered as Kurt laughed quietly.

"Oh, that's not weird at all."

Blaine quickly raised his head to look down at Kurt with a little pout. "It's not," he argued softly as Kurt raised a hand to brush his fingers along the nape of Blaine's neck, smiling.

And then there was a knock on the door followed by Burt's voice as he called Kurt's name. Within seconds, Blaine was tumbling off of Kurt and crawling to the other side of the bed as he felt Kurt roll off of the bed and stumble over to his dresser as he called back, "Yeah?" In an instant, Blaine was crossing his legs with a quiet little whimper. And then the door opened as he looked between Blaine and his son, a hint of a suspicious look on his face.

"Just wanted to let you know that the Friday dinner was moved to Thursday. Carole has a night shift." His eyes lingered on Blaine for a few seconds and Blaine could feel his stomach flipping nervously over and _over _again.

"Alright," Kurt said as he dug through the open drawer of his dresser. Burt looked at him for a moment before shutting the door.

Blaine swallowed nervously before looking back at Kurt who was giggling into the drawer.

"It's not funny, _Kurt._" Blaine hissed. He was _seriously_ afraid of Burt Hummel. "Your dad looked like he wanted to kick my ass."

"Calm down, _Blaine._ You make it sound like he hates you."

"He sure looked like it just now. Kurt, your dad was glaring _daggers _at me."

"Stop overreacting," Kurt snapped to which Blaine pouted.

Maybe Blaine should learn how to control his hormones when there was a possibility of being walked in on mid make-out session.


	14. Unexpected Events

They had lost at Regionals. _Lost. _Honestly, Kurt was expecting it. The moment he saw that New Directions chose to perform original songs, he was almost completely convinced that The Warblers didn't stand a chance. He was upset about the loss, of course, but not as much as he had suspected. He just wished he could have still been a member of the New Directions. The Warblers were great, of course. They treated Kurt with respect and even invited him out to lunch or to a movie. But Kurt knew where his true place was. And he knew it wasn't as a member of The Warblers.

But, as they say, you can't always get what you want.

So, for the time being Kurt convinced himself to be satisfied with the good things in his life. His safety at Dalton and his boyfriend.

However, that was proving to be a little difficult as of late. Blaine was being distant which was a little unusual for the older boy. Blaine was always the more touchy feely kind of person. He loved holding Kurt's hand and he would always brush his hand over Kurt's arm or shoulder. And most of all, he loved kissing Kurt which _definitely_ did not bother Kurt. It all seemed to stop out of no where though. Yes, Kurt would get the occasional little peck every now and then. Blaine would still hold his hand, too. But that was just about it. Kurt tried to decipher Blaine's behavior. He couldn't help but feel like maybe Kurt had done something wrong. Like maybe he wasn't giving Blaine _enough._ Like maybe Kurt wasn't enough for Blaine. Perhaps Blaine was bored with Kurt. It was a difficult idea to grasp. Things seemed to be so perfect and now they were beginning to roll downhill. Kurt hadn't mentioned anything yet, though. He wasn't even sure where to start.

Kurt sat at a table by the window in the Lima Bean. Hanging his bag on his seat, he let his eyes drift over to the register where Blaine was currently helping a customer with that brilliant smile of his. Even until this day, Kurt's heart fluttered at that smile even when it wasn't directed at him. Tugging his phone out of his pocket, Kurt glanced down at the screen to distract himself from Blaine for a moment. Soon enough he found himself looking back up at Blaine who was writing down the customer's order. Kurt watched his boyfriend in silence, thinking back to that first time he had noticed Blaine in the coffee shop. Kurt was almost immediately attracted to him. And, really, how could he not be? Blaine was pretty much one of the most gorgeous boys Kurt had ever seen. And the way Blaine had just _smiled_ at him so kindly that day. It made Kurt never want to leave his sight. It made him want to make any excuse to have a conversation with him _just_ so he could hear Blaine's voice. Kurt was pretty much convinced that it was love at first sight-at least for him.

It was that night that Kurt found himself sprawled on the bed beneath Blaine for the first time in about a week-which was a long time for them. Blaine was hovering over Kurt, fingers tangled into his hair and mouth on his neck. Kurt's hand was resting on the small of Blaine's back as he made an attempt to tug his boyfriend closer. Blaine didn't budge, though. Kurt made a frustrated and somewhat desperate little sound. A moment later, Blaine was pulling his head back to look down at Kurt.

"What?" he asked, voice a little breathless and low. The sound of Blaine's voice shot right through Kurt and he nearly arched his back in response.

"Closer," Kurt muttered as he sat up a bit, surging forward to kiss Blaine's mouth muttering, "Please," against his lips.

Again, Blaine was pulling away carefully to look at Kurt's face. "I don't think we should…"

Now, Kurt was getting annoyed. It's not like he was asking Blaine to have _sex_ with him. Kurt let his head fall back on the pillows as he let out a frustrated little noise as Blaine shifted to sit on his knees beside Kurt. Blue eyes stared into hazel for a few moments before Kurt tore his gaze away, closing his eyes.

"We're taking things slow, remember?" Blaine reminded Kurt much to his frustration.

It was a conversation they had had about three weeks into their relationship. This was both their first relationship and they were both a little clueless when it came to dating. They agreed not to rush into anything. But, damn it. Kurt was a teenage boy with his first boyfriend. They were two months or so into their relationship and they were barely past the heated making out stage. They were taking this relationship _way too_ painfully slow.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're an old man stuck in a teenager's body," Kurt admitted before opening his eyes to look up at Blaine to see the older boy pouting down at him. "I know we're taking things slow but, _really?_"

"What?" Blaine shot back, sounding a little offended.

"What do you mean _what?_" Kurt snapped. Now he was starting to feel like some horn dog. "Do you really think taking things _this_ slow is normal?"

"Well, I mean. Yeah, why not?" Blaine was starting to look a little uncomfortable. Like maybe he wanted to say, "No." And how Kurt wished he would say no because that would mean they could get past these stupid innocent little kisses. They were sweet and all but, _really._

Sitting up, Kurt leaned forward to kiss Blaine full on the mouth, a hand reaching up to cup the side of his boyfriend's face. He felt Blaine begin to slowly return the kiss, but it only lasted for a few moments before Blaine was pulling away only to frustrate Kurt further.

"Blaine," Kurt nearly whined. This wasn't _fair._ And why the hell did Blaine have to look so damn gorgeous when he smiled at Kurt like that?

"I should probably go," he said softly.

"Or you could stay," Kurt suggested as he slipped his hand down the side of Blaine's neck, watching as the older boy shut his eyes, taking in a sharp little breath that made Kurt smile hopefully. Blaine shook his head, though, twisting it a little to get at Kurt's hand and kiss his palm.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kurt," he muttered before moving off of the bed leaving behind a very annoyed, very sexually frustrated Kurt.

"Old man," Kurt called behind Blaine right before the door shut.

It was on Sunday afternoon that Kurt decided he would find a way to make Blaine want to take their relationship a step further. Kurt was ready. He had been ready two weeks ago and he simply wasn't having this. He knew Blaine wanted it just as bad because he could feel the older boy struggling when they kissed. He could _feel_ that want and he knew Blaine wanted to give in but he wasn't doing it and it drove Kurt mad. And Blaine made it so hard for Kurt to keep his hands to himself. Like now, for instance.

Blaine was wearing his weekend clothes. A black v-neck t-shirt with a blue cardigan and jeans. It was so simple compared to Kurt's clothes but _god_ he looked amazing. Blaine _always_ looked amazing and it was something Kurt both loved and hated about the older boy. The way the t-shirt stretched perfectly over his chest and the way his pants were rolled up a little and the way his damn _neck_ looked, collar bone peeking from beneath the t-shirt. Kurt could hardly keep his eyes off of Blaine and the older boy had noticed in the car, mouth twitching up into a little smile as he glanced at Kurt. He said nothing, though.

They were making a trip to the mall to meet up with a few of the girls from New Directions. It would be the first time Blaine would be officially meeting them. After much begging on Rachel's part, Kurt had agreed to ask Blaine to come along on this shopping trip. Kurt was a little hesitant, thinking there might be a bit of tension considering that these were girls from their opposing team.

Kurt was pleasantly surprised when Blaine kindly introduced himself and reminded them that it was a Saturday so that didn't make him a Warbler. He was just Blaine Anderson, Kurt's boyfriend. Kurt's _boyfriend._ Hearing Blaine refer to himself as his boyfriend to the girls made Kurt's heart flutter. It had been two months and Kurt was still swooning at these little things that Blaine did and Kurt hoped that _never_ stopped.

It was a little while after lunch that Kurt found himself sitting outside of the girls' fitting room. He had helped each of them pick out an outfit and they were currently trying them on. Beside him, Blaine sat playing some game on his iPhone, making these adorable little frustrated noises every now and then. After a few moments, Kurt turned his head a little to look at Blaine, reaching out to touch the back of his neck, fingers lightly playing at the little curls there. It was one of the few sections of Blaine's hair that he didn't gel down and it was always so soft. The moment Kurt's fingers came in contact with Blaine's neck, the older boy's head rose to look at Kurt, game suddenly completely forgotten. Kurt smiled softly before he spoke. "Thanks for coming today," he said. "I know shopping sprees aren't really your thing."

Blaine shook his head. "This is nice," he muttered, "and I finally get to meet your friends."

"They seem to really like you." Kurt slipped his fingers into Blaine's hair and he watched Blaine shut his eyes and lean back into the touch.

"That feels really nice," he muttered quietly.

Kurt was about to speak, but Santana's voice was suddenly cutting right through the air. "Save it for the bedroom, boys!" Kurt pulled his hand back as Blaine's head shot up, eyes snapping open.

Kurt sighed before standing to get a better look at her outfit. Behind him, Blaine fumbled with his phone for a moment before sliding it into his pocket.

"I was thinking," Quinn said as she stepped out of her own dressing room. "That since _you're_ picking out an outfit for all of us, maybe we should do the same for you."

Kurt's eyes went wide for a moment.

"Both of you," Mercedes added, peeking behind Kurt to look at Blaine who was still sitting down. Kurt had _never_ trusted anyone but himself with an outfit and this seemed like a bit of a dangerous idea. Then again, it wasn't like the girls had a horrible fashion sense. In fact, they dressed pretty well.

"As long as Rachel isn't the one picking," Kurt said finally.

From within the dressing room, Kurt could hear Rachel call out an offended sounding, "Hey!" to which Mercedes laughed at before looking at Blaine.

"You down?" she asked.

Blaine smiled that gorgeous smile of his before shrugging. "Sure, why not?"

"But I don't even _like_ this," Kurt was saying, staring at the clothes that Santana held up. He watched as she placed it into his arms before shoving him towards the fitting room.

"Just shut up and try it on."

Kurt groaned before walking into the little room right beside Blaine. He could hear the older boy fumbling around with the clothes beside him and Kurt sighed. "This was an awful idea, I'm going to look horrible."

"I highly doubt-" a little thud against the wall, "-that," Blaine finished. "You look amazing in anything."

Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes. "And I highly doubt _that._"

The outfit that Santana had picked out for him wasn't absolutely awful but it wasn't something that Kurt would have chosen for himself. A pair of dark blue jeans, some converse and a light blue short sleeved button up collared shirt. It was just so…plain. There wasn't enough going on to satisfy Kurt. But, he tried on the damn clothes anyway to get Santana to shut the hell up. And in minutes, Kurt was stepping out of the little room and walking to the waiting area where the girls (and Blaine) were. Quinn and Mercedes were examining Blaine's clothes, giving his shirt a little tug before stepping back and looking at him. And then, Santana spoke. "Oh my GOD, I am a fucking genius."

Kurt watched as everyone looked up at him and Blaine as he turned to face Kurt. And he could have sworn Blaine's jaw dropped for a moment when he saw Kurt. He blinked a few times before smiling. Blaine was the first to speak. "You look amazing," he said.

Kurt didn't agree entirely, but he did have to admit that he looked a little better than he expected. The outfit wasn't really _him_ considering the jeans were too loose for his personal taste and the top didn't have a lot going on save for the little pockets at the chest. But, Blaine seemed to _really_ like it from the way he was just _staring _at Kurt in a way that was making him blush a little.

"Come on, Kurt," Santana was saying. "You _have_ to get it. If not for you, do it for your boy. He seems to like it judging from the way he's eye-fucking you."

Kurt's eyes went wide at Santana's statement as Blaine quickly tore his gaze away from Kurt to stare at Santana who shrugged and smiled at him. "Well, it's true." She placed a hand on her hip.

"_Whatever._" Kurt said quickly before retreating into the stupid fitting room and closing the door behind him. A few moments later, he heard Blaine return to his room.

"So, are you getting it?" Blaine asked suddenly.

Kurt bit his lip. He was still blushing and he couldn't stop thinking about Santana's comment. "Should I?"

"If you like it."

There were a few minutes of silence between them as they finished changing back into their clothes. Kurt stepped out first and a few moments later, Blaine did as well. The older boy smiled up at Kurt. "I really like it," he said softly before looking down at the clothes that hung at Kurt's arm.

"So, Santana was right then?" he asked with a quirk of the eyebrow.

Blaine lowered his eyes to the ground before looking back up at Kurt to smile at him. "Pretty much."

Kurt's heart fluttered in his chest as he hugged the clothing closer. "I guess I'm getting a new outfit today, then."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Kurt, I completely forgot I was supposed to meet my parents for dinner today." Blaine apologized for a second time. Kurt had his arms crossed over his chest as he kept his gaze forward. They were supposed to go to dinner tonight and Kurt was so looking forward to it. Why did Blaine have to be so forgetful sometimes?<p>

Kurt crossed his legs, sitting back against the bench as Blaine scooted a little closer to him, nuzzling into his neck. There weren't many people around considering the mall was closing soon. "I promise I'll make it up to you." Blaine muttered against his skin before kissing it.

Stupid Blaine being stupidly affectionate and making Kurt nearly melt. Stupid, stupid, stupid. "Stop that," Kurt muttered before Blaine pressed another kiss to his skin and nuzzled again.

Sighing, Kurt pulled away from Blaine to look down at him as Blaine peeked up at Kurt from beneath his eyelashes. His stupidly long, amazing, beautiful eyelashes. "Just go," Kurt said placing a quick little kiss on his forehead. "Before I change my mind and decide that I'm still mad at you for canceling our date and being forgetful." Of course, Kurt was aware that spending time with his parents was more important than their dinner date. He was just being a little bitch _because_ Blaine had forgotten.

Blaine grinned up at Kurt before standing. "You sure Mercedes can give you a ride back?" he asked.

Kurt nodded. "Yeah. I'll just explain that you screwed up and forgot about me, no big deal." Kurt winked and Blaine frowned a little. "Go," Kurt said with a little laugh before Blaine tugged Kurt's hand to his mouth, pressing a little kiss at his palm before running off towards the exit considering he was already late to dinner.

With another little laugh and shake of the head, Kurt pulled out his phone and began typing a message to Mercedes.

_You guys still at Victoria's Secret? Blaine had to go so I need a ride back to Dalton._

_-K._

Mercedes' reply came rather quickly.

_Yeah. Meet me at the main entrance in like 10 min._

_-M._

Slipping his phone back into his jean pocket once he stood, Kurt grabbed the shopping bag sitting next to him and began heading towards the entrance where he would meet Mercedes. He failed to notice the small group of teenage boys who had been watching him and Blaine from afar. He had also failed to notice that they were following him now.

Stepping outside, Kurt made his way towards one of the benches, setting the shopping bag down as he pulled out his phone again deciding it would be a good source of entertainment while he waited for Mercedes. The sun was beginning to set and the cool night air was beginning to set in. Kurt wished he brought some kind of jacket. Hopefully he wouldn't be waiting for Mercedes for far too long. A short distance away, he heard a group of people exiting the doors but paid little mind to them, far too preoccupied with his phone. Soon, though, they made their presence evident as they snatched the phone from Kurt. Quickly, they boy looked up, "Hey!" he snapped as he looked up at the tall boy who seemed to be around his age. Kurt could have sworn he had seen him around McKinley at one time or another.

"You know, people don't really like seeing two fags practically fucking in public."

"It's gross."

"Don't go around shoving it into everyone's face."

Kurt's hands were shaking at this point. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. There was no one around to see what was going on or to even stop what might happen. Should he run? Could he really outrun three huge guys?

"I…" Nothing else came out.

"You need to be taught a _lesson._ You need some of the gay kicked out of you. Maybe then you'll understand that it's disgusting. That _you're_ disgusting and so is that other fucking homo."

"Please, I'm just…" Kurt couldn't finish his sentence and his voice quivered as he spoke. He was just waiting for Mercedes. He just wanted to get home and work on some last minute homework. He just wanted to be in the safety of Mercedes' car. The safety of dorm at Dalton.

And suddenly, the only thing he could think about right now was Blaine and how he wished he hadn't left. How he wanted Blaine to be with him. How he didn't want to be alone. But he was. There was no one around and it was just Kurt and these terrible people hovering over him. They were moving closer and all Kurt wanted to do was run but his legs weren't working. The next moment, he was falling back onto the ground and then there was a sharp pain to his side. And then a kick to his head. Kurt was trembling now, eyes stinging as tears welled up. And then, he felt a hand grabbing at his collar as he was yanked to his feet. A punch across his cheek then one to his mouth. The metallic taste of his own blood filled his mouth. He felt another punch to his face and then one to his stomach. Kurt tried to fight back, kick himself away but there was another boy moving behind him to grab at him. He took both of Kurt's arms, locking them behind his back and keeping them from moving. By this time, Kurt was thrashing about, kicking and begging for them to stop. He managed to get a kick to one of the boy's shin but it wasn't enough. It only made the large boy angrier.

Kurt wasn't sure how much time had passed. How many times he had kicked and begged. But it all stopped when he heard a voice cut through the air.

"What the _hell_ are you guys doing?"

The voice was familiar, but Kurt couldn't put a name to it. His head was spinning and his body was throbbing in pain. Everything just _hurt_ so much. They had stopped and Kurt dropped his head wheezing for breath. The punches as his stomach made it so very difficult to breathe. They had finally stopped and Kurt was taking that opportunity to just _breathe. _When he was released, his legs gave out beneath him and Kurt fell to his knees, barely holding himself up with his hands. There was struggling going on around him and he could hear arguing but Kurt could barely understand the words. He was far too focused on keeping himself from just falling over and sleeping. Resting. Forgetting about everything around him and making all of the pain go away. His ribs were aching and he wondered if they were broken. His vision was blurry and it was hard to take in a deep breath without coughing.

Kurt nearly screamed when he felt someone touch his back. No. No, no, no. They were coming back for him. He expected to be yanked up by the arm. Kicked to his back. But nothing happened. That hand just stayed there and it was warm and comforting. And the first thing that crossed Kurt's mind was _Blaine._ But when Kurt raised his head, he saw someone completely different. Someone he wasn't expecting.

"David?" he barely got the word out. David Karofsky was kneeing before him, concern in his face and this _must_ have been some kind of dream. Maybe Kurt had passed out during the beat down and now he was having some strange dream. But the pain overwhelming his body was enough to remind Kurt that this was all still very real.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm _not_ alright," Kurt hissed out before coughing and lowering his head. "Fuck." Kurt never cursed and this was one of those very, very rare occasions. He coughed again, pain shooting through him at the action and Kurt groaned in pain, tears welling up in his eyes from pure frustration and pain and terror and just _everything. _This was so much worse than anything that had happened to him. And none of it made sense. The boy who had made Kurt's life a living hell at McKinley was now the boy who was kneeling by his side calling 911. He had practically saved Kurt's life just then.

And Kurt just wanted to curl up in a little ball and cry for hours.


	15. Recovery

"I-What?" Blaine breathed into the phone, his heart stopping at the words that had just been spoken to him.

After dinner with his parents, Blaine had tried calling Kurt but didn't get an answer. It struck Blaine as a little strange considering Kurt always had his phone on him and always answered. Blaine tried to shrug it off, not wanting to make himself seem like the overly worried boyfriend. Upon returning to Dalton, Blaine began making his way towards his room, though he made a quick stop at Kurt's dorm which was on the way there. He knocked once then twice. No answer. A third time. No answer. He even called out Kurt's name. No answer. Maybe he was in the shower. His face twisted in to a bit of concern as Blaine stepped away from the door and slowly began making his way back to his room. It was about an hour later when he got the phone call from Burt Hummel. The phone call that had Blaine's heart sinking into his chest, color draining from his face.

Kurt was in the hospital.

Kurt had been attacked.

He had been attacked _minutes_ after Blaine left.

The time between Blaine hanging up the phone and driving to the hospital was a bit of a blur in his mind. The next thing he could remember was sprinting into the hospital and up to the nurse's desk. "Kurt Hummel," he gasped for breath. "Please. What room-He was admitted earlier this evening-" Blaine was gripping the edge of the desk until his knuckles went white. From a distance he heard someone call his name. Head snapped in that direction to see Mercedes waving him over. Without a second glance to the nurse, Blaine moved away from the desk and over to his boyfriend's best friend.

"Is he alright? What happened? Is he conscious?"

Mercedes smiled at Blaine touching his arm gently. "Calm down," she said before giving his arm a little tug for him to follow her. "He's fine. His ribs are a little bruised and he has a few cuts on his face. Nothing serious. He'll be out tonight."

The walk to the room seemed to last for_ever._ All Blaine wanted to do was see Kurt. Hold him. Tell him everything was going to be alright and he would never, _ever_ let anybody hurt him again. And there was this-this rage bubbling within Blaine. He wanted to find whoever did this to Kurt. It was probably Karofsky. It _had_ to be Karofsky, that bastard.

The moment Blaine saw Kurt lying in that hospital bed, his heart sank. It was something like what nightmares were made of. Kurt's face and arms were battered. Bruises painted his pale, slender arms and there were a few small cuts on his cheeks. Despite his physical appearance, his face was peaceful as he slept. In the corner of the room sat Burt Hummel who smiled a little at Blaine. Blaine seemed to forget his manners for the time being, not even making the effort to return the smile. Maybe he was over reacting a little bit. Mercedes said that he was fine. Things could have been worse, but that was just it. Things could have been so much worse and he _knew_ Kurt had been attacked _because_ of his sexuality. Whoever had done this-Karofsky or not-had done this because Kurt was gay. And all of this just terrified Blaine because he knew what it was like. He had felt this sort of hate before and he had been attacked because he was gay and he had felt the pain Kurt must have felt tonight.

Blaine stepped up beside Kurt, eyes never leaving the younger boy. As if Kurt could feel his presence, his eyes slid open to look up at Blaine. A little smile touched Blaine's lips right before he lowered himself to his knees, eyelevel with Kurt. "Hey, baby," he whispered, reaching out to touch Kurt as carefully as he could manage. Blaine wasn't really one for pet names, but the word just seemed to flow out naturally at this moment. It seemed right and Blaine didn't care if Kurt's dad was right there listening to him and watching Blaine lightly brush his thumb over Kurt's cheek. None of that mattered right now.

After a few moments of just staring, Kurt suddenly flung himself at Blaine, pressing his face to Blaine's shoulder. All of the sudden his body was shaking with sobs. He was trembling and crying into Blaine's shoulder. And all Blaine could do was just hold Kurt. Put his hand behind his boyfriend's head and tell him that everything was alright. That he was safe and nobody was going to hurt him. Because Kurt needed to hear this. He needed someone to tell him that everything was going to be fine. Whoever did this to him was going to get what they deserved because it _wasn't right._ People didn't deserve this kind of treatment just because they were born to love somebody of the same gender. The only thing Kurt was doing was _loving_ and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that. He didn't deserve any of this. He had been through so much and he thought that maybe-just maybe-he was finally safe at Dalton, if only for a little while. But these damn _bastards…_

* * *

><p>"Do you know who did it?" Blaine was asking Mercedes as they stood outside Kurt's hospital room as Burt spoke to the nurse.<p>

"Just some guys that were at the mall. Kurt said he thinks he's seem them around school at some point.."

So there went his suspicion about Karofsky.

"Dave Karofsky was the one who found him."

"What-Really?" Blaine heart nearly stopped. Well that was the biggest shock of all.

Mercedes nodded. "If he hadn't have shown up, things would have been a lot worse. God knows how far they would have gone."

And, really, Blaine didn't even want to _think_ about those possibilities right now. He didn't want to begin to imagine the state Kurt could have been in. That beautiful face shouldn't have had any cuts and those flawless arms shouldn't have had any bruises on them.

Burt continuously urged Blaine to go home and get some rest, but the boy refused. He wouldn't leave Kurt's side as long as he was in the hospital. Blaine hadn't been there for Kurt when he had been attacked. Blaine wasn't going to blame himself for that, but he would make sure that he would stand by Kurt as long as he possibly could.

Mercedes had left and Burt was standing outside at the nurse's desk going over some final paperwork. Blaine was sitting beside Kurt holding his hand and smiling softly, thumb lightly rubbing over the back of his hand. "You're going home with your dad tonight, right?" he asked and Kurt nodded.

"The doctor said I can go to class tomorrow but my dad won't let me." He pouted a little. "He says I should get some rest tomorrow."

"He's right," Blaine said, raising Kurt's hand to his mouth and pressing a little kiss against his palm before speaking against his skin. "You've had a rough night."

Kurt smiled softly before lowering his gaze down to his lap. A short silence settled between them and then Kurt spoke up. "Why have you been so distant lately?" It caught Blaine off guard and it was so out of the blue. It was a question Blaine had seen coming, though he was still a little surprised by it.

Blaine did acknowledge that he had been a little distant lately. It was simple, really. He wanted to take things slow. But it was so damn difficult with Kurt. Everything about the boy was utter perfection and it was so hard for Blaine to keep his hands to himself sometimes. On several occasions he found himself just staring at Kurt during Warbler rehearsals, completely tuning out the conversation around him. Kurt was the epitome of beauty. Before Kurt, Blaine had never realized that he could find a _boy _so incredibly _beautiful._ Sure, Blaine had seen handsome and gorgeous. But never beautiful.

Blaine was silent for a few moments, refusing to meet Kurt's gaze.

He was distant because he could hardly control himself around Kurt. This beautiful boy just made Blaine _want_ so much and that terrified Blaine because he wasn't sure just what was too much. Kurt deserved all of the respect in the world and Blaine didn't want to take that away from him.

"Maybe we shouldn't…talk about this right now, Kurt. You've had a rough night."

"_No,_" Kurt was saying almost immediately. "Blaine." His voice had a dangerous little edge to it.

"I promise," Blaine whispered. "That we'll talk about it tomorrow."

And, thank his lucky stars, the moment Blaine said that Burt was walking into the room. Blaine almost felt the need to turn around and just _thank_ the man on his perfect timing. He refrained, though. Because that would mean that Blaine would have to explain why he was thanking him. And that meant that he would have to explain that he was trying his hardest to keep himself from doing suggestive things to his son.

That would have been quite the interesting conversation.

* * *

><p>The moment Blaine woke up the following morning, he was reaching for his phone and dialing Kurt's number. Sitting up a little, Blaine rubbed his face with a little sigh glancing at his alarm clock. It was fairly early, but Blaine knew that Kurt was definitely a morning person so he would most likely be awake.<p>

Hearing Kurt's voice over the phone made Blaine's heart swell happily as he smiled softly. "Morning," he muttered into the phone, voice rough with sleep. "How are you feeling?" Last night before leaving the hospital, Blaine half considered asking Kurt if he could spend the night at his house in case Kurt needed someone to talk to. The younger boy seemed to be taking the attack fairly well and he seemed a little more emotionally stable that Blaine expected. Not that Blaine doubted his boyfriend's stability it was just…unusual. After Blaine's attack in his old school his parents needed to send him to a therapist for a few weeks.

"Much better." Blaine could practically hear the smile in Kurt's voice and this made his heart swell even more as he sunk into the warmth of his sheets.

"I'll be by to pick you up after school," he said softly into the phone. Maybe then Blaine could make an attempt to talk to Kurt about the attack, though he wasn't sure how to bring it up. Should he ease into it? Or just be blunt? "Just take it easy today, alright?"

Kurt sighed. "Yes, mom," he drawled.

Blaine laughed quietly. "Shut up, I'm allowed to worry." He smiled. "I'll call you later, ok?"

"Try not to miss me _too_ much."

Blaine grinned. "I'll be counting the seconds 'til we meet again, my darling," he said dramatically.

Kurt giggled softly. "Good_bye_, Blaine."

Despite the jokes, Blaine couldn't wait to see Kurt. He found himself staring at the clock more often than he should have been and the day seemed to drag on. Blaine wasn't desperate. He just wanted to be close to Kurt. He wanted to give him the comfort he needed because Blaine was almost _positive _that Kurt was home alone today. His parents were probably at work and Finn was at school.

Eventually, school let out and Blaine was in his car. He hadn't even bothered changing out of his uniform, simply tossing his school bag into the backseat and quickly turning on his car.

Kurt did look much better today. His face didn't look as drained and he didn't look as tired. The moment Blaine had the opportunity, he placed a little kiss on Kurt's lips. He hadn't even stepped into the house. Simply pulled his boyfriend into his arms and kissed him, not caring who may have been watching. Soon enough, they were up in Kurt's room, and Blaine was sitting in the middle of Kurt's bed (which was the most comfortable damn thing in the entire world.)

Before Blaine could even get a word in, Kurt was crawling onto the bed, head in Blaine's lap as he pulled his arms tightly around Blaine's waist. A little smile tugged at his lips as he gently pet at Kurt's hair. "Hey," he muttered softly. Kurt, in response, nuzzled into Blaine's stomach before speaking, words a little muffled.

"I'm glad you're finally here," he said softly. "It's been a long day…"

Blaine continued running his fingers through Kurt's hair, that little smile still on his lips. "I'm never going to let anybody hurt you ever again, Kurt," he found himself saying, eyes drifting along Kurt's bruised arms. "I promise," he whispered.

Kurt pulled away, shifting a little to lie on his back, eyes on Blaine. "I had trouble sleeping last night," he admitted softly. "I kept having these…nightmares about-about them…They would find me anywhere I went and just beat me…"

Blaine could feel his heart crumbling in his chest at the sound of Kurt's voice. The things he was saying. It was so heart. He knew the horror of those nightmares haunting him and it killed him knowing that Kurt was suffering like that. He never wanted Kurt to experience the things he did in his old school. He didn't _deserve_ it. Any of it. These nightmares were haunting Kurt and if they continued to do so, he might have to see a therapist. Blaine knew that was a difficult thing to come to term with; admit that you needed to see a professional because of some emotional scars. Blaine hoped that wouldn't be the case. He hoped Kurt would be able to recover easily. But sometimes life didn't work that way as much as it pained Blaine to admit it.

"You're safe now. I'll make sure no body touches you ever again." Leaning down, Blaine brushed a little kiss against one of the bruises on Kurt's arm. Beneath him, he could feel Kurt tense up a little. "It's ok," Blaine whispered as he kissed his way up Kurt's arm, shoulder and then neck. Then, he found himself kissing along Kurt's jaw and he could hear Kurt sigh softly as he leaned his head back a little, giving Blaine a bit more skin to kiss. "I love you," Blaine muttered against Kurt's ear.

He wasn't afraid to say it. Because it was something Blaine just _felt_ at that moment. He would do _anything_ to keep Kurt safe. If that meant putting himself between an attacker and Kurt he would do it. Because Blaine was _in love _with Kurt and he wasn't afraid to admit it or show it. Sitting up, Blaine peered down at Kurt to find the younger boy smiling up at Blaine, eyes a little glassy.

"I love you too," Kurt said finally, voice quiet as he leaned up to kiss Blaine.


	16. Apologies

_"I love you too," Kurt said finally, voice quiet as he leaned up to kiss Blaine._

For a moment, Kurt's heart had stopped when Blaine uttered those three words. The words Kurt had wanted to hear from a boy. Sure, it was nice to hear it from Mercedes and his dad. But this was so very different. Mercedes and his father loved Kurt. Blaine was _in love_ with Kurt. Blaine was all his and nobody was going to take him away. And, honestly, Kurt could see himself getting married to Blaine. He could see himself planning his own wedding. Pulling out that old trunk hidden beneath his bed. He could see himself stressing out and going insane but coming to the conclusion that it was all worth it when he stood in front of all of his friends and family and kissed Blaine. _Married_ Blaine.

Suddenly, the question was coming out of Kurt's mouth and he couldn't stop himself. He needed to know and he was tired of waiting for an answer that Blaine promised. "Why have you been so distant lately whenever we…kiss?"

Blaine was lying next to Kurt, curled up a little with his face nuzzled into Kurt's side. After Kurt had whispered that he loved Blaine, the older boy smiled before nuzzling close to Kurt. They stayed that way for a short amount of time until Kurt broke the silence with his question and Blaine blinked up a him, looking a little shocked at the sudden question. Within a few seconds though, that confused expression melted as he lowered his eyes to look down at Kurt's chest for a moment before he sat up, eyes finding Kurt's face once more.

"I promised you an answer, didn't I?" Blaine asked with a little smile to which Kurt gave him a dangerous little glare. Blaine chuckled a little as he raised his hand to touch Kurt's face, thumb lightly brushing over his cheek. Kurt couldn't help but lean into the touch, closing his eyes.

"It's not you, if that's what you think," Blaine muttered softly. "Well, it _is _you, but not in a bad way."

Kurt opened his eyes to look up at Blaine, eyebrows drawing together. He gave a little tilt of the head, silently encouraging Blaine to go on.

"I don't want to ruin what we have."

"How can you possibly ruin what we have by being affectionate?" Kurt asked almost immediately.

Blaine worried his bottom lip between his teeth, turning his eyes away from Kurt. He shifted a little before looking at Kurt again, words coming out slow and careful. "I want…so much, Kurt. From you. And I don't want to let myself lose control. I don't want to freak you out or scare you away. I don't-I don't want to push you too far."

It was like this weight was suddenly lifted off of Kurt's shoulder as he listened to Blaine speak. So, the reason for his strange behavior was because of Kurt but not in the way he thought. It was actually the quite opposite. Blaine was being a _gentleman_ which was unheard of with boys his age and that sent a wave of happiness through Kurt. He had the best boyfriend ever, it was official.

"Oh, honey," Kurt said as he sat up to cup Blaine's cheek. "_Trust me,_ I don't think anything you do is going to scare me away." Because, _really,_ Kurt was sure he wanted as much intimacy as Blaine did. They were both teenage boys and they both had hormones. And it wasnatural to _want._ And Kurt wanted. He really, really did. Slowly, Kurt leaned in to kiss Blaine softly on the lips. Blaine pressed into it lightly for a moment before pulling back to kiss along Kurt's jaw making the younger boy giggle softly when Blaine's lips brushed along his neck.

And suddenly, Kurt's phone was buzzing on his nightstand making Blaine pull away with a frustrated little sigh. Kurt smiled softly, watching as his boyfriend fell back onto the bed muttering, "Cock blocking phone."

Kurt snorted in laughter before reaching out and answering the phone without a glance to the caller ID.

"This is Kurt Hummel, how may I assist you?"

Blaine giggled beside him.

"Kurt. Hey, um. It's Dave."

Kurt blinked before pulling the phone away from his ear to look at the number he didn't recognize. It wasn't Finn or Puck pulling a prank on him. Kurt returned the phone to his ear. "Hi," Kurt said carefully.

"Do you think maybe we can, like…I don't know, meet up for coffee tomorrow or something to, uh, talk?" Kurt could feel the tension radiating off of Karofsky and through the phone.

Kurt nodded a little, even though Karofsky couldn't see him. "Yeah. Sure. After school?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Alright, I'll see you then."

"O.K., cool. Um. Alright, bye," he said a little awkwardly before the line went dead.

Blaine shifted a little on the bed before softly asking, "Who was that?"

"Karofsky…" Kurt said slowly, setting his phone aside. "He wants to meet up for coffee tomorrow..."

* * *

><p>Kurt had to admit to himself that he was nervous as he sat in the practically empty coffee shop. He sat in a far corner by himself waiting for Karofsky to arrive just as they had planned. So far, he was twenty minutes late. With a small glance towards the coffee bar, Kurt caught Blaine simply staring at him from where he stood at the register. The older boy offered him an encouraging little smile and Kurt returned the smile weakly.<p>

When Karofsky finally arrived the two boys sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, Karofsky fumbling with his phone and Kurt watching him closely. Karofsky, surprisingly, was the first to speak.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt," he began weakly, "for everything I ever did to you. For all of the things I said and for pushing you around like that. I didn't mean to-I mean-It was wasn't right and…I'm just so sorry."

Kurt simply watched in silence something twisting up in his throat. He was expecting an apology from Karofsky today, but he never really thought about how it might _feel_. This was something he had been waiting for and wanting for _months_ and it was finally happening. The only other time that Kurt had seen Kaofsky in such a vulnerable state was the moment he had kissed Kurt. Actually, this time he looked and sounded so much more vulnerable. So much _weaker._

"I know you are," Kurt stated simply, keeping his voice from quivering. "And I accept your apology." Kurt could have pushed Karofsky away. Told him he completely hated him and wished him the absolute worst, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. He understood the struggle that Karofsky was facing and he knew what hiding from the world was like. He understood that confusing. He didn't agree with Karofksy's way of dealing with his choices but he wouldn't _hate_ him for it.

"What?" Karofsky breathed, confused.

"I don't agree with _your_ way of coming to terms with your sexuality but I understand how you feel. And I know how hard it is coming to terms with something like this. But thank you for coming out here and apologizing like a civil human being."

Karofksy tore his gaze from Kurt's looking down at his phone, fumbling nervously with it. After a few moments, he nodded without looking up. "You're welcome." And then he looked up to smile at Kurt. This was the very first time Kurt had seen a genuine smile directed at him from this boy. This boy who had made Kurt's life at McKinley a living hell. This boy who hated Kurt for being proud of who he was. This boy who had stolen Kurt's first real kiss. None of that seemed to matter now because suddenly, all of that was in the past. It was forgiven, but definitely not forgotten.

With the minutes that followed, they talked about the attack. Karofksy asked Kurt how he was feeling and told him that the boys that had attacked Kurt had been turned in. They were now in juvenile hall and were no longer welcome back to McKinley High. Apparently, Karofksy knew the boys from the hockey team. The "puck heads" as some of the students liked to call them. Karofsky wasn't necessarily _friends_ with them considering the claimed he had betrayed them for the football team.

It should have felt awkward sitting here talking to Karofsky so casually. Laughing at little jokes the taller boy would make and not flinching every time Karofksy raised a hand to run it through his hair or rub at his face. It was comfortable here and Kurt almost felt that maybe, just _maybe _there was chance that he and Karofsky could be friends, if not, acquaintances.

Because for the first time ever Kurt Hummel and David Karofsky smiled at each other.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, short chapter. Sorry! I will be wrapping up the story within the next chapter or two. I'd just like to thank all of my readers and am so thrilled with the response this story has received. Seriously, it means so much. Thank you all! :)<strong>


	17. Forever Yours

**So, here it is! The final chapter. Just a warning, things do get heated between the boys in this chapter so you are more than welcome to skip through it if you're not comfortable reading it. Once again, thank you to everyone for keeping up with me and reviewing. It's meant so, so much! I really hope you enjoyed this story!**

* * *

><p>It had been two weeks since Kurt's attack. He had agreed to talk to a therapist about his attacks because the nightmares hadn't ceased. His second day of therapy was tomorrow and Kurt hoped he wouldn't have to spend far too much time seeing this therapist. The guy was weird and a little too kind for Kurt's liking. Then again, he was a therapist so it was his <em>job <em>to be nice. But Kurt felt he overdid it and sharing all of this personal information with a stranger made Kurt slightly uncomfortable. But, he knew it was for his own good so there was no sense fighting it.

Tonight had been another one of those nights where these horrible images clouded his mind and overwhelmed his dreams. He was being chased, as usual, and he could hear the boys yelling the awful, horrible things to him. Calling him a queer and fag. Telling him he didn't deserve to live and that he was a disgusting excuse for a human. Right before he woke up they would always catch him. Sometimes they would slam him into a wall or throw him to the ground.

Kurt's hands trembled as he knocked on Blaine's door. He wasn't sure what time it was but he assumed it was pretty late considering the hall was completely empty and none of the doors had any light peeking from beneath them. Seconds after knocking on the door it was swinging open and Blaine was rubbing at his eyes, blinking against the light in his room. Blaine's hair was a mess sticking up in different directions, curls free of gel. He was wearing a t-shirt two sizes too big and pair of sweat pants. Kurt had never seen anything more beautiful or comforting than the boy staring up at him, concern as he asked Kurt if he was alright. Kurt shook his head before sniffing and rubbing at his nose with the back of his hand stepping into the room as Blaine shut the door behind him. He slowly made his way to Blaine's bed, sitting down on the edge as Blaine joined him pulling an arm around Kurt's shoulders with no hesitance what so ever.

"Another nightmare?" asked Blaine softly into Kurt's shoulder as he pressed a little kiss there.

Kurt nodded rubbing his burning eyes. Tonight was one of the nights he had woken up crying.

"Same thing?" Blaine was asking.

Kurt nodded his head again. "This time they shoved me into the wall _and _threw me to the ground."

Blaine said nothing. Instead, he pulled his arm from around Kurt's shoulders and crawled towards the head of the bed, leaning against the headboard. Kurt watched him as Blaine opened his arms a little. "Lay with me?" he said softly. Almost immediately, Kurt was crawling after Blaine snuggling against him, breathing in his scent. There was a faint smell of cologne mixed in there that made Kurt nearly melt right into his boyfriend.

"Everything's alright. I'm right here," Blaine whispered into Kurt's hair.

And even thought Kurt knew everything wasn't going to be alright all the time. Even though he knew that there would always be hate and homophobia out there, he believed Blaine for that moment. Because within these walls inside of Dalton Academy people were accepting and understanding. They said nothing when they saw Kurt and Blaine holding hands while they walked through the halls. Within this cozy little dorm room it was just Kurt and Blaine, two boys in love.

Lifting his head Kurt looked up at Blaine to find the older boy staring down at him. In those eyes he found nothing but pure adoration. Something Kurt had longed for so long. Something that Kurt dreamed of and waited for. This gorgeous boy gazing down at him was all his. All of his heart belonged to Kurt and nobody else. Shifting a little Kurt pressed his lips to Blaine's neck, almost immediately, Blaine's arm slipped around Kurt's waist, lightly tugging him a little bit closer. Kurt continued his sweet assault on Blaine's delicious skin, kissing up the side and along that strong jaw line that was so Blaine and so amazing. His neck and jaw was a little scruffy and Kurt found himself absolutely _loving_ that as he nuzzled Blaine's cheek before he captured Blaine's mouth in a warm kiss. Blaine responded with this delicious little sound slipping from the back of his throat as his grip tightened around Kurt's waist. Then both of his hands lightly held Kurt's hips once Kurt was settled on top of him, now straddling Blaine.

Suddenly, Kurt wanted so much-so very much from Blaine. More love, more affection, more of just _him._ Blaine's scent surrounded him and everything was just _Blaine_ and Kurt never wanted to know anything else. Blaine was kissing him now, soft and slow, and his tongue was lightly brushing over Kurt's. This alone had Kurt moaning softly. Blaine responded, tightening his grip on Kurt's hips, the feeling doing so many things to Kurt, this familiar little heat spreading deep within Kurt's stomach.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered his name against his boyfriend's mouth, almost desperate. Shit, he was practically mewling Blaine's name. He could feel Blaine smiling against his mouth before breaking the kiss to lick at Kurt's bottom lip making Kurt give off a little whimper. Blaine chuckled softly as he lowered his head to Kurt's neck.

"Don't-nng-laugh," Kurt grumbled, despite the fact that, yeah, he was so incredibly turned on right now. It also wasn't helping that Blaine was mouthing at his neck in a way that was sending a bit more heat pool deep down in his stomach.

Suddenly, Kurt found himself on his back, Blaine hovering over him, hands on either side of his head. The way Blaine was looking down at him was-it was like nothing Kurt had ever seen. There was this dark look clouding those amazing eyes. Reaching up, Kurt pressed his hand to the back of Blaine's neck tugging him down and crashing his lips to Blaine, kissing him desperately, licking his way into Blaine's mouth. Kurt's free hand slipped beneath Blaine's shirt , fingers lightly pressing to the skin of Blaine's back, receiving a little groan in response from Blaine.

Kurt's hands were trembling. He was nervous, but he didn't want to stop. He _couldn't_ stop because he knew he wanted this. They both wanted this, they _needed_ this.

Suddenly, Blaine was rolling his hips, pressing against Kurt and-_ohok-_Kurt wasn't the only one with the problem between his legs. And just _feeling_ Blaine like this did things to him to the point where Kurt was tearing his mouth away from the kiss and tossing his head back, moaning quietly and arching his back. "Blaine please, I-" Kurt cut himself off, groaning again. He wanted that friction. He fucking _needed_ that friction so bad, and he was fumbling for it, searching for it, arching his back as Blaine thrusted against him, groaning in this delicious way that made Kurt whimper pathetically.

And then, Blaine was pressing his face into Kurt's neck, whispering Kurt's name against his skin, pressing little kisses against it. And, _holyshit, _why did nobody tell him that frottage felt this amazing? And those _sounds_ that Blaine was making were so incredible.

Suddenly, Kurt was speaking. "I'm so-close, Blaine I…"

At the moment, Blaine stilled his movements and Kurt nearly whimpered. Suddenly he felt Blaine's warm hand pushing his shirt up a little, warm fingers trailing over Kurt's stomach. Kurt groaned softly, arching his back again. "Why-What-Why did you stop?" Kurt whined. Blaine said nothing, though, hand trailing lower and lower until his fingers were brushing at Kurt's hip bone. And suddenly, his eyes found Kurt's.

"Can I?" he whispered gently.

Kurt swallowed. He knew _exactly_ what Blaine was asking. He knew exactly what that meant no matter how vague the words may have been because in that moment there was this silent understanding between them. And, yes, Kurt was so incredibly nervous but he trusted Blaine. Kurt nodded shakily before breathing, "Yes. Please…" He needed this so bad because at this point he was so hard it was _painful._

Then, very slowly, Blaine was tugging at the waistband of Kurt's pajama bottoms. He had stopped wearing the silk pajamas around Blaine a few weeks ago. Because, really, Kurt wore what any other teenage boy wore to bed. A pair of cotton pants and a t-shirt. Blaine had used his charm to talk Kurt into wearing his normal pajamas around him because Blaine was amazing like that. And Blaine made Kurt _feel_ amazing and gorgeous even when he wasn't wearing silk pajamas or designer clothes. He could make Kurt feel absolutely beautiful even when we was wearing this old McKinley Titans t-shirt and a pair of cheap cotton pants with little footballs on them.

Kurt's breath hitched the moment Blaine's hand lightly gripped Kurt, even if it was over the material of his underwear. Again, Kurt tossed his head back against the pillow, biting down on his lip with a quiet little groan. And suddenly, Blaine was speaking.

"You're beautiful, Kurt…" He pressed a kiss to Kurt's forehead. And then he was tugging at the waistband of Kurt's underwear and his hand was on Kurt and _ohfuckingshit_ Kurt was mewling pathetically, turning his head, cheek pressing against the pillow. The only thing he could say right now was Blaine's name. And he was repeating it and muttering, "Please" and "Ohgod" and Blaine was jerking him off. By this point, Kurt was nearly crying.

"Don't be afraid to let go," Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear. "It's just us, Kurt. C'mon." He nipped at Kurt's earlobe and then moaned softly into Kurt's ear. "Come _on." _Then a lick to his ear and that did it for him. Kurt was crying out, eyes squeezing shut, eyebrows pulling together-he was coming over Blaine's hand and his stomach. Suddenly, his entire world was spinning and he was panting desperately. Kurt wasn't sure how much time passed until he finally came down from this amazing high of his, but when he did, Blaine was pulling his hand away and Kurt was looking up at him. Without a second thought, Kurt was licking at Blaine's fingers and Blaine was gasping Kurt's name and muttering a quiet, "Ohgod." Kurt didn't stop, licking Blaine's hand clean. For a moment, he felt Blaine go tense and Kurt figured that, ohyeah, Kurt was probably doing something right because that seemed to do it for Blaine. Suddenly, Blaine was licking into Kurt's mouth and moaning quietly. "You taste so good," he ground out before sucking Kurt's bottom lip into his mouth.

Seconds later, Blaine was collapsing beside Kurt, snuggling up to him as Kurt tugged his underwear and pants back up around his hips. They were both panting quietly as Blaine pulled an arm around Kurt's middle, tugging him close. And honestly, Kurt's stomach was sticky with his own drying come and he should have been utterly disgusted, but he wasn't because he was floating on cloud nine. Because Blaine has just _gotten him off_ and Kurt had done the same. He hadn't even _tried_ and he had gotten his boyfriend off and it was almost too much for Kurt to handle or even believe. But Blaine was proving that his was all real when he nuzzled under Kurt's jaw. "You're amazing," he whispered.

Kurt smiled softly and kissed the top of Blaine's head, nuzzling into his hair. "I've gotta say," he muttered, "I wasn't expecting this kind of comfort when I came to your room tonight."

Blaine looked up at Kurt, arching a brow. "You really seemed to enjoy it," he muttered.

"Oh, I never said I didn't," Kurt responded before kissing Blaine softly and licking at his lower lip.

"I don't mean to ruin the moment," Blaine mumbled as he pulled back from the kiss. "But I should probably change considering I just came in my pants thanks to you."

Kurt laughed a little, letting his head fall back into the pillow. "Yes. How rude of me."

Blaine continued grinning "And you probably want to clean up as well."

"You know me too well," Kurt said, batting his eyelashes dramatically as Blaine sat up and tugged at Kurt's arm with a little laugh.

Everything felt perfect despite the fact that Kurt had been torn from his sleep by a nightmare. Suddenly that seemed to be the last thing on his mind because everything was just Blaine and pure _love._ Kurt was certain that he was head over heels for Blaine and he wanted to be a part of Blaine's life for as long as the older boy would allow Kurt. They shared an unbreakable bond because from the moment their eyes met there had been a connection. Blaine had smiled at him like Kurt was an old friend. And Kurt wasn't really much of a spiritual person or anything like that. He had trouble believing there was such thing as God. But meeting Blaine and getting to know him, Kurt wondered if they had known each other in some past life. And, maybe it was a little cliché and stupid, but maybe they were meant to meet again in this lifetime. To find each other under special circumstances that allowed them to have an instant connection. Kurt liked to believe that because it made this relationship with Blaine that much stronger and so much more meaningful. It was pure beauty and Kurt would _never_ let anyone tell him otherwise. He would never let himself be convinced that this love he shared with Blaine wasn't beautiful, no matter how many times people kicked them down with their dark glares.

Kurt would proudly hold Blaine's hand as they walked through the mall. He would feel eyes burning into the back of his head. He would hear the discouraging mutters and whispers, but he would refuse to turn his head. Because Kurt Hummel was better than that. He was _beyond_ the ignorance that made up this stupid little town. He and Blaine were going to go to prom together. They were going to slow dance amongst the couples in the room. They were going to graduate together and move away from here. Leave these talentless, horrible, ignorant people behind. They were going to make something great of themselves because they deserved it. They didn't deserve the hate, the ridicule, the slaps, the punches, the filthy names. They deserved recognition, praise and love.

Kurt and Blaine were going to get _married. _They were going to live a happy life. And they were going to prove to the world that they were stronger than the homophobes that wanted to bring them down and tell them that their relationship wasn't right. It was so very right and so very beautiful.


End file.
